I'm a Clan Cat
by 0defend
Summary: When a huge fan of Warriors goes to bed one night after reading the recent book in the series (Sign of the Moon), she wakes up finding herself in the world she's been reading about for so long as a cat! Now, as Echopaw to Echoflight, a ThunderClan warrior, she attempts to live her long-dreamed Warriors life- and maybe prevent some tragedies along the way! (Rated T for swearing)
1. I'm a cat?

**Chapter 1: I'm a cat?**

Frowning, I stared down at the math problems before me. _What the heck? _My brow furrowed as I tried to figure out the square root of 56, which of course, was something easy to do. But having a headache and being a young teenager in school, of course I wanted to procrastinate on it.

"I'll do this later…" I said to no one in particular as I pushed away the math equations and turned on my chair. Looking around to make sure no one else was in my room, I headed over to my bookshelf and pulled out my favorite book of all time; Warriors: Sign of the Moon. "Come on Erin!" I shouted as I jumped on my bed, opening the book to a random chapter, "you've got to come out with the next book! I hate all these dang cliffhangers."

Enjoying the plotline of Sign of the Moon, I reread the book for the twelfth time, my eyes beginning to get sleepy. I shook my head, yawning. I still had math homework to do!

But before I knew it, my eyelids felt as if they were lead, and I was greeted by blackness.

I woke up to bright sunlight in my face and prickly grass itching me all over. I sat up, reaching over to scratch, when I realized I wasn't scratching skin. My eyes widened as I jumped up in shock as a _mrrow _escaped my lips. Well… cat-lips. I closed my eyes tightly, willing that the cat noise I had uttered wasn't actually me, but some cat nearby. And that the fur I scratched was the said cat nearby, and it was gone now. Taking in a deep breath, I glanced down, hoping to find my bare feet and my glittery toenails which I had painted earlier with-

Instead of my glittery nail polish and ugly human toes, I was greeted by a white fluffy cat paw and claws.

"What the hell…?" I muttered. I sat back down as I lifted my paw up to examine it more. It was white, but following up was dark brown tabby fur with lighter brown tabby markings. "No… no… no! I still have math homework to do!" I yowled, jumping up in dismay as I ran to a nearby river. I looked at my reflection.

I was a cat. A living, breathing feline.

I frowned and my reflection in the water frowned back at me in waving ripples. "I guess… this is… cool?" My tongue traced the sharp teeth in my mouth; cat teeth was definitely different from human teeth.

But the more worried, anxious side of me was saying otherwise. I felt a wave of apprehension wash over me as I began to pace, looking back at the water every now and then to make sure that I hadn't changed back into a human.

_This can't be happening… This CAN'T be happening! _I prayed, backing away from the river. The image of the dark brown tabby with glittering amber eyes was imbedded in my mind…

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" the demands of an unfamiliar voice broke the image as I spun around to face a patrol of cats.

_Wait… did he say… ThunderClan?_

The patrol consisted of four cats; a long-furred white tom with blue eyes, a she-cat with gray tabby fur and blue eyes, a golden-tabby with amber eyes, and the one who had called out, a cream-furred tom.

My jaw opened, someone, in an angle allowing me to speak, but no words could come out. Although the cats weren't familiar, I recognized them; the detailed description of Erin Hunter was enough for me to know that these cats were Cloudtail, Berrynose, Cinderheart, and Lionblaze (er, Cinderpaw and Lionpaw at the moment, probably).

"I _asked_ you a question, fleabag!" Berrynose hissed again. He glared, his teeth bared. I looked down at his paws, where he had unsheathed his claws. I gulped.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't know I was on your territory," I apologized sincerely. I dipped my head to the older tom. When he didn't argue against me, I added, "May I ask where I am?"

Before the arrogant warrior could snap a stinging retort at me, Cloudtail stepped forward, shouldering the cream-colored tom away. "I'm Cloudtail," he meowed. He nodded his head to Berrynose who continued to glare at me. "That furball over there is Berrynose - don't mind him, he's practically harmless." Berrynose hissed angrily, but Cloudtail ignored him as he continued the introductions, "The gray tabby over there is Cinderpaw," - Cinderpaw nodded at me, her blue eyes kind - "and the golden tabby is Lionpaw."

I nodded. "Um… where am I, exactly?"

Berrynose snorted. "As if you don't know…"

Well, he has a point there. But if I make them believe I honestly don't know where I am, they won't suspect I'm from another Clan. And I don't want them asking too many questions. I can't even wrap my own head around the situation.

"You're in ThunderClan territory," Cloudtail meowed, ignoring Berrynose.

I nodded. "ThunderClan…?"

"The territory you're in right now," Lionpaw meowed. He nodded to the river behind me. "Past that river behind you is WindClan territory, while RiverClan is over to the left of WindClan. ShadowClan is more up, near the left of ThunderClan territory."

I already knew this of course; but I didn't know how important Erin Hunter's descriptive maps would be. Or the allegiances, for that matter.

_Heck, I even knew where the Clans were back in the old forest! I bet they'd get a kick out of that…_

"What's your name?" Berrynose meowed, his gaze full of hostility.

Yeah… I kind of want to know that too. I blinked back at him, trying to think of a good name. _I can't use a warrior cat name… that'd be dumb. And I definitely can't use my human - er - twoleg name… What name sounds like a loner or a kittypet name…?_ "Echo," I finally meowed. "My name is Echo."

Cinderpaw pushed past Berrynose, obviously friendlier than the rest of the patrol. "Hello, Echo! Nice to meet you!" she mewed.

"Nice to meet you too," I meowed back, flicking my ears. It was so weird being a cat.

"Well, hello Echo," Cloudtail meowed. I looked back at him. His blue gaze met mine - stern and alert. Although his tone was kind, I could tell by his eyes he was still suspicious as to why I was in ThunderClan territory. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a home somewhere?"

"Maybe she's a loner!" Lionpaw suggested. Cloudtail shot him a look telling him to be quiet. Lionpaw looked down at his paws.

I shuffled my own nervously. _What do I say? "Well, no, actually I'm a twoleg you see, and I got turned into a cat after reading this book about you guys called Warriors! It's really interesting, you know. I know everything about you guys." Ugh, stupid! That's crazy. They'll think you're insane if you say that… or… mouse-brained, is it?_

"Er… no," I finally meowed. "I… I don't have a home."

"So you are a loner!" Berrynose scoffed. "Well you can get out of here. And don't bother coming back," he sneered.

I sighed. I guess I was a loner.

Cloudtail rolled his eyes. "That's enough, Berrynose," he ordered. He glanced back at me. "He's right, though. If you are a loner, I suggest you get out of here. This is ThunderClan territory. We'll let you off with a warning, though," he added as he and the others began to turn away.

My ears twitched. "W-wait!" I called.

The patrol stopped. Cloudtail look over his shoulder. I ran up to them. "C-can I join your Clan?" I stammered.

Cloudtail let out a _mrrow _of amusement. "Usually we _invite_ cats into our Clan. They usually don't ask to join…" he trailed off, meeting my gaze. I pleaded with him, blinking.

"Please? I… I don't have a home… and I don't know where to go," I added for the pity-affect.

Cloudtail exchanged a look with the rest of the patrol. "Well… I guess we could ask Firestar about it," he finally meowed. He nodded to the others. "Come on then, we'll take you back to our camp."

As we began to venture deeper into ThunderClan territory, I could barely contain my excitement. I was going to join the Clan I've been reading about for so long! I was going to become a warrior!

"So, how long have you been a loner for, Echo?" Cinderpaw asked. I jumped. I hadn't noticed that the gray tabby had been walking beside me.

I blinked. "Oh… um, not for long…"

"Oh… were you a kittypet before then?"

I stared back at her, not knowing what to say. Maybe if I played dumb, God would save me from this conversation?

"A kittypet is a housecat," Cinderpaw added, mistaking my stare for a confused look.

"Oh… I know," I meowed.

Cinderpaw looked back at Berrynose and Cloudtail leading the patrol. "Well, we're almost at ThunderClan camp," she meowed. "I'm really shocked that you actually wanted to join our Clan… most loners and rogues and kittypets stay away from us."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah… kittypets come up with these stories about us eating the bones of dead animals." Cinderpaw let out a _mrrow _of amusement. "Isn't that funny? Dead-bones? They're seriously mouse-brained."

Cloudtail looked over his shoulder, shooting a glare at Cinderpaw. Her ears flattened against her head at the silent scold she had received from Cloudtail. "Well… not Firestar and his family… Cloudtail is related to Firestar, y'know? His mother was Princess, who was Firestar's sister. That was back in the old forest though…"

I nodded. I remembered that story all too well. I even remembered how annoying and obnoxious Cloudtail was as an apprentice… almost like Berrynose, actually.

"Well, we're here!" Cinderpaw meowed as we entered ThunderClan camp.

"Wow…" I breathed, taking in the scenery around me. I closed my eyes, my happiness and excitement levels skyrocketing; this is where my adventure begins!


	2. Echopaw

**Chapter 2: Echopaw**

_******I wish I could post pictures along with these chapters... so many of my fans from Quizilla had drawn stuff to go with some of the scenes for some chapters... They were adorable too! If you want to view them (or you can't wait for me to update this story on here, since it will take a while since I'm going to be updating all my edited chapters) then feel free to go to Quizilla or Wattpad and search for I'm a Clan Cat on there! (by xXxFeatherwishxXx on Quizilla and thatsilentdreamer on Wattpad). :) Thanks again for reading, and feel free to leave a review! If you like the story, review, and if you didn't, feel free to review your opinion (the nicest way you can please!).**_

Before I had a chance to look around the camp some more, we were instantly greeted by the the ThunderClan cats.

"Who is she?" Spiderleg meowed.

"What Clan is she from?" mewed Honeypaw.

"Is she a kittypet?" called out Poppypaw.

From all the voices calling out different scenarios, Firestar emerged from his den. His pelt flamed in the sunlight as he stepped onto Highledge. His emerald eyes looked down onto us as he bounded down from the ledge and to Cloudtail.

"Who is this, Cloudtail?" he asked.

"She calls herself Echo, Firestar," Cloudtail replied. "She wants to join our Clan."

Firestar turned his emerald gaze to me. "Echo, is it?" he asked. I nodded. "Are you sure you wish to join our Clan? It's not as easy as it looks, you know."

I dipped my head to the Clan leader. "Yes, Firestar, I wish to join ThunderClan. I promise I'll be extremely loyal and do whatever I'm told to! I'll do whatever it takes to protect the Clan."

I looked up, my amber gaze meeting his green as we stared each other down. My eyes must of had a pleading look, for Firestar's gaze softened, as if he were remembering the time he was accepted to join ThunderClan. Giving me a small nod, he leaped back onto Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

_He didn't really need to call everyone out…_ I thought, looking around. My arrival into the camp had already brought out almost all of the cats in ThunderClan.

Cloudtail began to lead me to Highledge. I could feel all of the different stares from the different cats as I climbed up the Highledge, so I was a little ways off from Firestar. Cloudtail nudged me forward until I was right next to him. I looked down at the cats, their eyes narrowed as they continued to judge me.

"Show them no fear," Firestar murmured to me under his breath. "If you show them you're scared, they won't accept you."

I nodded, remembering what had happened to Firestar in _Into the Wild. _Rusty had needed to prove he was loyal to the Clan cats, so Longtail challenged him and the two began to fight. Although fighting isn't everything a true warrior needs, Rusty had beaten Longtail and he was accepted into the Clans.

I straightened myself up, feeling support from Firestar as I continued to run through the circumstances of the Warrior Code in my head.

"Echo is a loner that Cloudtail and his patrol had met near WindClan border," Firestar began, "and she wishes to join the Clan."

"She wants to _join?"_ Birchfall's mew of disbelief seemed to echo throughout the camp as the cats surrounding him pitched in with their words of confusion and suspicion. '_Show them no fear',_ Firestar's words echoed in my mind.

The ginger tom ignored him as he continued, "I have taken her plea into consideration, and I have come to the conclusion that she may join the Clan."

"How do we know we can trust her?" another cat shouted.

"Yeah! She might be a spy from WindClan!"

"Or just a rogue that can't fend for herself - let alone the Clan!"

Firestar waited for the yowls of disapproval to die down as he continued, "Echo, are you fazed by what they are saying?" he asked.

I looked at him. _Show them no fear._ "No."

"Do you admit to anything they are saying?"

"No."

Firestar's green eyes glimmered. "Do you wish to join our Clan?"

My eyes brightened. "Definitely."

"Echo, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Echopaw." Firestar's gazed sweeped over the cats before him. "Your mentor shall be Squirrelflight."

My eyes widened as the she-cat stepped forward, her dark ginger pelt ruffled as she stretched, making her way to the Highledge. I heard murmurs of approval as I made my way down the Highledge to meet her. "Squirrelflight, you are a loyal and trusted warrior of ThunderClan. I trust that you will teach Echopaw the ways of a true ThunderClan warrior."

"Oh, I will Firestar," Squirrelflight meowed, looking back at me. She grinned, bending down to touch noses with me. I could see in her eyes that they were brimmed with happiness, and slight surprise. Was I her first apprentice?

After a bit of hesitation, the surrounding cats began to call my new name; "Echopaw! Echopaw!"

I sighed. I was now a true ThunderClan apprentice!  
Once the meeting died down, Squirrelflight looked back at me. "So, what do you want to do? Do you want to do some exploring?"

I frowned. "Can we go hunting?"

Squirrelflight nodded, calling over Brackenfur and Ashfur, their apprentices in tow. "Hey, you four! Do you want to go hunting with me and my new apprentice?"

"Why not?" Ashfur meowed, glancing back at Lionpaw. "Lionpaw could do with some freshening up."

"Yeah, I'm sure Hollypaw would enjoy it as well, right?" Brackenfur meowed, glancing back at the black she-cat. She nodded, her green eyes glimmering.

As Ashfur's blue gaze turned to look at me, I held back a shiver. Although he had done nothing wrong, he had loved Squirrelflight so much, that his jealousy towards Brambleclaw and her was too great, that he had to hurt her in some way. So during the fire, he had trapped Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Squirrelflight, threatening her that he would kill them so she could feel the pain he felt; to save the three, Squirrelflight had given away one of the biggest secrets of all - they weren't her kits. This had caused a huge break between the Three and their family, causing them to be suspicious of everything, and even causing Hollyleaf to murder Ashfur to prevent him from telling any cat about it.

I shuddered at the thought as I followed the others out of camp. I can't let this happen - I have to stop it somehow!

_But how? _I could barely recall when it would happen. Was it in Eclipse? Or was it in the book with Sol on the front cover? I tried not to show my frustration as I followed the others to a clearing. Squirrelflight nodded to me as the others sat down.

"Alright, Echopaw, first I'm going to teach you the basics of hunting," she meowed. I nodded to show I was listening.

"You may not think that this is necessary, but you should change the different ways you hunt by the prey you're trying to catch," she continued, "for instance; a mouse has great hearing, and if you step the wrong way or if your breathing is too loud, it will hear you and escape. You have to step lightly."

I nodded again, becoming impatient. I already knew all of this from reading the Field Guide that showed the different techniques - I even knew how to fight. But I could feel fear ebbing deep within me at the thought of digging my claws into something living and ending it's life. I tried not to shudder as I continued to listen to the advice Squirrelflight was giving.

"Here, crouch down like I am," she meowed. "The most important thing about hunting is your crouch." She nodded towards Hollypaw and Lionpaw. "How about you two come help?"

The two apprentices nodded as they crouched next to me. I watched Lionpaw's stance and how he leveled his body just a few inches above the ground. I attempted to copy, only to feel an unfamiliar pain rush through my muscles. Guess my body isn't used to a position like this - even though I'm in a cat body, and not a twoleg one.

I stretched, straightening myself as I dropped low to the ground again. Keeping my claws sheathed, I made sure that my paws were evenly spaced away from each other and that my tail wasn't lingering on the ground.

"Very good!" Squirrelflight meowed.

"That's an excellent crouch for your first try, Echopaw!" Brackenfur praised. I sat up, feeling my ears heat up with embarrassment.

"Thanks…"

Ashfur scowled, his blue gaze cold. "Let's test to see if that crouch really is as good as it seems," he meowed, turning to talk to his apprentice.

I let out a sigh. _How much can you actually love someone to completely change like that?_

"Hey, Echopaw, are you going to sit there all day?" Hollypaw asked, poking me in the side. I stood up, turning to face her. Her green eyes lit up with excitement. "Come on, let's see who catches the most prey!"

"There won't be any more prey left if you keep shouting," Brackenfur scolded. I let out a _mrrow _of laughter as I followed Hollypaw to begin the hunt.

My ear twitched as I watched the grey coloured mouse intently. I was in my crouching position, listening keenly, keeping my gaze on the fat mouse. It was too busy nibbling on a nut to notice me.

I then saw my chance. I began to creep forward quietly, stopping every now and then when it would look up. Before it could drop its nut and escape, I pounced on it, digging my claws. My eyes widened as I was greeted by soft skin. The mouse let out a squeak of pain, and I instantly felt guitly for what I've done. But the cat inside of me willed me to think differently as I swiftly bit its neck. I reacted backwards as the tang of blood greeted my lips. I spit, backing away.

"Hey, nice catch!" Lionpaw meowed from behind me. I looked over to see the golden tabby carrying a large squirrel.

"Thanks! Same to you," I added.

Lionpaw closed his eyes triumphantly. "The fat geezer never saw me coming!" he bragged, jokingly.

I purred, picking up my mouse, as we headed back for camp. Lionpaw was telling me the story (slightly muffled through the fur of the squirrel) about how he had caught the fat animal in his mouth. I nodded, realizing that he had somewhat dramatized the story to sound cooler.

"Very interesting," I meowed, dropping my mouse onto the fresh-kill pile. Lionpaw shrugged, adding his squirrel.

"Hey, what can I say? I'm a champion," he grinned.

"Wow, nice catch!" Hollypaw meowed, adding her sparrow to the pile. Lionpaw smirked.

"Thanks."

"Not you, mouse-brain," Hollypaw snorted, shouldering past her brother to stand next to me. "You caught a mouse! And on your first try too!" she added.

I shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Great job, you three!" Squirrelflight congratulated us, setting down her few kills.

"Thanks Squirrelflight!" we all said in unison.

As we started to share stories of how we each caught our kills, Poppypaw bounded over. "Hey, Echopaw! Honeypaw and I made a nest for you when you're ready to sleep!" she meowed.

I purred. "Thanks!" As the tortoiseshell she-cat bounded away, I looked up at the sky - it was beginning to darken. Probably dinnertime for humans. _I wonder how my parents are doing…? _I wondered. Shaking my head from the sad thoughts, I got up, heading for the apprentice den. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't pay attention to where I was going, and ran into something - or rather, someone.

"Hey, watch it!" he snapped.

I shook my head, rebalancing myself from the stumble. I looked at the cat I had bumped into; he was a gray tabby tom, who was previously carrying herbs, but they were now all scattered around the ground.

"I-I'm sorry!" I stammered. Stepping forward, I began to help him collect the herbs. By their texture and smell, I could decipher that they were borage and tansy leaves.

"Hmph," snorted the gray tabby. Looking up, studying him further, I recognized him immediately. _Jayfeather! Ah, I love Jayfeather! Er - well, I guess, Jaypaw now._ As we finished gathering the herbs, he lead me to the elder's den.

"Here, Mousefur," he meowed, setting the herbs down in front of the elder. She leaned over to lick up the herbs, but stopped when she spotted me. "Who's she?" she asked.

A pale tabby with dark black stripes leaned over and sniffed. "I think she's the new apprentice, Echopaw." My gaze softened. Longtail was a very fierce, yet loyal warrior. That is, until his eyes got clawed by a rabbit and he was confined to the elder's den due to his blindness.

I dipped my head to the elders. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Echopaw," I mewed.

"Why're you here?" Mousefur snapped. "It's not time for the apprentices to clean out the elder's den yet."

"I accidentally bumped into Jaypaw," I meowed.

"Accidentally?" Mousefur narrowed her eyes.

"_She_ bumped into me," Jaypaw snapped, his temper showing. He was always touchy about being blind.

"I'm sorry…" I muttered. Jaypaw seemed to have ignored my apology, or pretended as if he didn't hear it, as he began to leave the Elder's den. I dipped my head once again to the elders, then followed him out.

"Hey! _Excuse me!" _I snapped, getting a little bit fed up with his temper.

"What?" Jaypaw snapped yet again as he turned around, his blind blue eyes unfocused, yet still beautiful as ever.

"I… I am really sorry," I meowed. "I… didn't mean to make you upset…" I meowed carefully, checking my words. Jaypaw hated it when cats mentioned his blindness, or acted as if he were weak.

Jaypaw snorted. "Then stop annoying me!" he hissed, then stalked off back towards the medicine den.

My ears flattened against my head. I was upset at first. _Great… my favorite cat out of the entire series hates me, _I thought bitterly, then anger began to fill my thoughts. _That inconsiderate jerk! What's his goddamn problem? He's worse than the jerks at my school! _ I began to head towards the fresh-kill pile. Maybe food would take my mind off of the encounter I had.

"What's wrong? You look like a fox in a fit," Hollypaw commented. I sighed, picking a bird from the pile as I layed next to her to eat.

"I met Jaypaw," I muttered, taking a bite. Preparing myself to begin retching at the taste of bird, my tastebuds were greeted instantly by delicious flavors of the forest.

"Oh, no wonder," Hollypaw purred. "Don't worry, Jaypaw's always cranky. He'll soften up once he gets to know you."

I sighed, taking another bite. "I hope so," I mumbled, my mouth full.

Changing the subject, Hollypaw began to tell me about all the cats in the Clan. "Since you're new here, I'll tell you who's friendly… and who's not." I nodded as she continued.

"Berrynose, the cream-colored tom over there," she nodded towards the warrior. He was talking to his siblings, along with bragging to some of the apprentices (including Poppypaw and Honeypaw). "He's really arrogant. He used to be really mean to Jaypaw, Lionpaw and I when he was an apprentice. But once he got his warrior name, he's been worse than ever."

I smirked, remembering how he had an accident which left him with a stump for a tail. _They should have named him Stumpytail… or Berrytail. At least having tail would remind him of his stump. _

"Everyone else in general is pretty much alright, except for Ashfur… he's kind of… rude. But don't worry, I'm sure he won't talk to you much. He only pays attention to Lionpaw since he's his apprentice," Hollypaw continued.

"Thanks," I meowed. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out,"

"Oh, I don't mean it like that," Hollypaw meowed. "I mean… I trust him… it's just… I'm worried sometimes."

"Oh?" Fear began to seep through me. Was Ashfur really that obvious about eliminating Squirrelflight's kits?

"Nevermind," Hollypaw meowed. We finished our fresh-kill at around the same time as she sat up, beginning to groom herself. I watched as she brought her paw over her ears and muzzle, and attempted to do the same to myself. It felt good to clean all the dirt from my fur.

"You missed a spot here," Hollypaw meowed, picking at my back.

"Oh, thanks!" I meowed.

"No problem," Hollypaw mewed, getting up as she lead us to the apprentice den. It was getting dark and many of the other Clan cats were retiring. I found my nest, a little farther off from some of the apprentices. I settled in it, circling, then curled up, closing my eyes. After everything that had happened today, it wasn't hard to fall asleep.


	3. A Stranger

**Chapter 3: A Stranger**

**_I don't know when the next chapter will be published even though it's summertime (my mom is really Asian-y and is making me study my French and do my summer reading homework and play piano... and yeah). Whenever I start writing she starts yelling at me. So I won't be able to post my edited chapters on here since they aren't edited yet! If you're itching to read the next parts in this story, feel free to read them on Wattpad and Quizilla! Just type in this story's title in the search engine and look for them by xXxFeatherwishxXx (Quizilla) and thatsilentdreamer (Wattpad). Don't forget to review, and thanks for reading! Smileyface._**

The next day I awoke to sunlight beaming in through the apprentice den. Blinking, adjusting my eyes to the newfound light, I stretched, yawning. _I'm still a cat! _I thought, looking down at my now-familiar cat paws. _This'll be quite a day!_ I headed out, avoiding some of the cats still sleeping.

I looked around the Clan, amazed at how everyone was already up and working. There were cats all over the place, either talking or getting ready to go on patrol of some sort. As I spotted Hollypaw and Cinderpaw a little ways over, I started forward, only to run into someone yet again.

"Ah! Sorry!" I exclaimed, jumping back. It was Jaypaw.

Jaypaw opened his mouth, almost as if to make a stinging retort, only to close them, sighing. "Sorry for snapping at you earlier…" he grumbled.

I smiled, although I knew he couldn't see it. "It's fine! I'd snap at me too," I joked.

Jaypaw fidgeted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Do you know I'm blind?" he demanded.

"Y-yes… I do."

His eyes narrowed. "How? Cats usually don't notice until I tell them."

"I-I could tell…" my voice trailed off and I willed myself silently to come up with a better excuse; if I didn't, then he'd start asking more questions and I'd give myself away!

"How?" he repeated.

"Uhm… when I first ran into you, your eyes didn't focus onto me until I started talking. Even now they're still kind of out of focus."

Jaypaw was quiet for a second, but before he could say anything, a light brown tabby with white paws and chest padded forward - Leafpool. I noticed distinctive ginger markings in her fur. _That's something the Erins need to add into the allegiances…._

"Jaypaw, what are you doing? I told you to go collect some more catmint-" she stopped mid sentence, realizing I was present. "Oh, hello. You must be Echopaw. I'm Leafpool, the Clan's medicine cat. This is Jaypaw, he's the medicine cat appre-"

"She already knows who I am," Jaypaw snapped. I saw Leafpool recoil, her amber eyes looking hurt. I felt a pang of sympathy for her - no one knew that Jaypaw, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw were actually her and Crowfeather's kits aside from Squirrelflight. Not even Crowfeather himself or Brambleclaw knew!

Leafpool finally regained her posture. "Well, go along now!" she meowed hastily, beginning to walk away. "And don't take too long!"

Jaypaw rolled his eyes, but did as his mentor told him as he started for the exit of the camp. "Um, Jaypaw -wait!" I called after him. He stopped.

"What?" His tone wasn't as harsh as it usually was, but I could tell he was getting impatient.

"Um, Squirrelflight's on morning patrol… and I don't have anything else to do. Maybe I could help collect some catmint? In repayment for bumping into you all the time," I added quickly, so he wouldn't think I was accusing his blindness.

Jaypaw hesitated, but then nodded in response as he continued to head out of camp. I followed him as we headed for the Abandoned Twoleg Place.

Our walk was basically in silence. I could almost feel the awkward as Jaypaw lead the way. I frowned, staring at my paws as I walked. What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to ask him what was up? Was I supposed to ask him what catmint was (even though I already know that)? I shook my head. _Maybe saying nothing is better…_

"Why did you want to join the Clan anyway?" Jaypaw asked, starting the conversation for me.

I looked at him. "What?"

Jaypaw rolled his eyes. "You heard me. Why did you want to join ThunderClan in the first place?"

"Oh…" my voice trailed off. What was I supposed to tell him? "Uh… Well, I heard stories about it for a long time. And I thought… it was better than being alone… and I wanted to help."

Jaypaw was quiet as he took my reply into consideration. I mentally smacked myself. What kind of shitty response was that?

We finally neared the Abandoned Twoleg Place, saving me from further embarrassment. "Only get the good, healthy, grown-out stems," Jaypaw meowed as he began to pick at the growing catmint. He sniffed them first, then began to pull them out. I joined him, pulling out some of my own leaves.

"Mmm… they smell good!" I commented.

Jaypaw didn't say anything, although he didn't seem as prickly as he was before; he was actually calming down.

"This is good enough," he announced as we began to carry our pile back to camp.

As we neared the camp entrance, Jaypaw stopped. He set the catmint down, hesitating. I looked back at him. "Jaypaw?" I asked, my mew muffled through the catmint. I set my own leaves down. "What's wrong?"

Jaypaw mumbled something that I didn't hear. I frowned. "Sorry… I didn't catch that."

"Thanks…" he meowed slightly more audible. He picked up the catmint again, and I could tell he was embarrassed by how his ears were flattened close to his head.

"Oh…" I felt my own ears heat with embarrassment as I followed him into camp. Stopping, I nearly dropped the catmint as I saw all the cats gathered around one larger one in particular - tortoiseshell-and-white fur with ginger patches and black markings…

Jaypaw nudged me. "Hurry up," he meowed. "We have to get the leaves in the den."

"Alright," I meowed, following him, not being able to keep my eyes off of Sol. He was talking to the cats gathered around him. I picked up the pace, racing past Jaypaw into the medicine den. "Hey!" he called after me, annoyed, but I ignored him.

_I have to stop Sol! _I threw the catmint somewhere I thought they belonged, the musky scent of herbs making my eyes water. I raced back out into the clearing, almost running into the cats surrounding Sol.

"Oh, Echopaw!" Cinderpaw greeted me. I looked at her. She frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Wha-" I started, but was interrupted as Sol pushed past the cats surrounding him. His amber eyes glimmered as he stared me down. He smirked.

"Hello, Echopaw. It's nice to finally meet you."


	4. Solar Eclipse

**Chapter 4: Solar Eclipse**

I narrowed my eyes. _Sol… _I could feel my claws unsheathe and I forced them into the dirt, digging. My hatred for this cat was boiling, although, I didn't know why I felt so angry. Maybe because he practically manipulated ShadowClan, and he also caused lots of other shit. Jaypaw was next to me, and I assume he must've either felt the air around me tense, or he used his powers, for he too stiffened.

"What's wrong?" he asked, lowering his mew so only I could hear it.

"Yes, I'd like to know that as well," Sol smirked. I glanced back at Jaypaw to see him narrow his own sightless eyes.

Sol's eyes blinked calmly. _That freaking bastard is calm? Screw him! _ My eyes continued to stay narrowed as I watched the larger tom carefully. He was intimidating and I guess that's because of his enormous size - or maybe his personality - but either way I wasn't going to show I was slightly scared by him.

"Echopaw," Sol continued, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Murmurs erupted throughout the rest of the Clan. I was able to pinpoint some of the gossip; "How does she know him?" "What's going on?" "Is Sol friends with her?" "Maybe she isn't just a loner!"

I attempted to contain my temper. Thanks to this arrogant fleabag, everyone was losing their trust in me; and it wasn't easy, considering I was a loner and Clan cats don't take lightly with loners.

"You as well… Sol…" I muttered. Sol let out a purr and I resisted the urge to vomit.

He leaned forward, close enough so I could feel his hot breath tickle the short fur on my ear. "So you do know a lot about the Clans, do you?" he sneered. "And so do I. And let me guess, you also know the reason why I'm here, don't you?"

I hissed. "Yes I do. And I'm going to stop it."

Sol pulled away, the same smirk planted on his face. I saw his whiskers twitched. You could tell from his eyes he was amused by all of this. _Sadistic piece of fox dung…_ "Oh really?"

I glared. "You just lead to trouble. Get out, Sol. Cats don't deserve to suffer because you started it."

The only response I got from him was another twitch of his whiskers. The cats surrounding him currently blocked me out of Sol's view, continuing to bombard him with useless questions that, of course, lead to stories that Sol made up.

"What's wrong?" Jaypaw asked.

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter," I murmured, brushing past him. I instantly regretted it. The least I could do was warn them, couldn't I? _Because of Sol, that fugging bastard… Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, ShadowClan… even SkyClan suffered greatly! I'll never forgive him! _

Turning around, I was finally ready to at least give Jaypaw hints as to what would happen, but was interrupted by Firestar calling; "Jaypaw, Leafpool, Echopaw! Sol wishes to speak with you three."

I frowned, my own whiskers twitching. _Me? What does this sick, twisted cat want with me?_ Nonetheless, I followed Jaypaw and Leafpool out of the camp to a clearing nearby. I sat down, tail curled over my paws as I watched carefully.

_This is the part where Sol tells Jayfeather and Leafpool that the sun will vanish… it's just a freaking solar eclipse… Nothing major. But of course, since they're cats, they don't know that… How the hell am I supposed to warn them? How am I going to get them to believe me? _I felt my anxiety rush through me in waves.

"What do you want?" Leafpool meowed carefully. I saw a questioning look in her amber gaze as she watched Sol.

"Leafpool… Jaypaw… you two are medicine cats, am I right?" Sol asked.

"Apprentice…" Jaypaw hissed under his breath. I nudged him.

"Yes," Leafpool answered for the both of them, shooting Jaypaw and myself a scolding look.

"Well… did StarClan tell you that the sun would vanish then?"

Leafpool's eyes widened as she stared at Sol in shock. "It will?" she gasped. "Why?"

"Only StarClan knows… but they didn't tell you?" I saw Sol's eyes flash triumphantly.

"No…" Leafpool's voice trailed off. She glanced to Jaypaw. "They didn't tell me… Did they tell you, Jaypaw?"

Jaypaw shook his head, his sightless blue eyes focused on the ground.

"StarClan told me!" I hissed, standing up. Sol, Leafpool, and Jaypaw directed their gazes to me, full of shock and surprise. _I can't let Sol frighten the ThunderClan - I won't!_

"They did, huh?" Sol meowed, knowing that they didn't. I nodded, again trying to hold my temper.

"They visited me last night. They told me that the sun would come out of view, but only for a short time - not too long. Then it will return, completely normal. Nothing to fear." I met his gaze evenly.

Leafpool's amber gaze bore into me, questioningly, but I didn't meet it. I continued to glare harshly at Sol, almost challenging the great tom to say something.

Sol nodded, then got up. "I see, then," he meowed. "I'll be back…" He then vanished among the bushes and trees. I let out a sigh of relief, the fur standing on end finally relaxing. _Thank God… well… StarClan I guess. _

As Leafpool, Jaypaw and I headed back to camp, I could still feel Leafpool staring at me questioningly. Her stern look boring into me made me uncomfortable, and I willed myself not to squirm under her deep amber gaze. As we entered the camp, we were immediately greeted by Firestar, Sandstorm, and Graystripe. Brambleclaw made his appearance followed by Squirrelflight and Brackenfur.

"So?" Firestar asked, his green eyes glistening.

I quickly explained to the group of cats Firestar had brought that StarClan had "visited" me in a dream saying that the sun would vanish, but only for a while, before it would return, back to normal. Firestar exchanged looks with the elder warriors, but didn't say anything as I concluded my story saying that Sol had only come to warn us of this and we had nothing to fear.

_Nothing to fear at all…_

Graystripe's amber eyes were narrowed in confusion. "Why wasn't Leafpool or Jaypaw warned about this?"

I shrugged. "I honestly don't know… but I'm pretty sure it was StarClan. Ghost warriors… right? The one who visited me… she called herself… Spottedleaf…" _Spottedleaf… yeah, Firestar will have to believe me!_

I saw his green eyes cloud at the mention of the beautiful ThunderClan medicine cat. Spottedleaf was young and Firestar's first love. I, too, felt remorse at the thought of the lovable tortoiseshell-she-cat's terrible death. "She did?" Firestar meowed.

I nodded. "Yeah… tortoiseshell… pretty dappled coat…"

Firestar nodded as well. He glanced at Sandstorm, then at Graystripe. "If she says Spottedleaf visited her and warned her, we have to take this into consideration. If the sun does vanish, we won't panic. I'll warn the rest of the Clan." Firestar bounded up to the Highledge, calling all the other cats to tell them what would happen.

I glanced back at Leafpool. She was still watching me, her amber eyes unreadable. I lowered my head; did she not like me? Or was she suspicious of me? _I hope she doesn't think badly of me… if she says something to Firestar, he's obviously going to listen to her! I'm screwed. _

The solar eclipse passed with no cats terrified. Instead, most of them stared up at it in awe. I, on the other hand, attempted to socialize with the elders and queens. I didn't feel like blinding myself today (not meaning to be offensive towards Jayfeather).

"Wow!" Honeypaw breathed after it was over. I glanced back at the golden tabby as she bounded over. I meowed a goodbye to Ferncloud as I made my way to the apprentices. "You're so cool! I can't believe StarClan chose you to tell over the medicine cat!"

I purred. "I don't think so…" _It's all thanks to you guys for existing, after all. And the Erins for writing your whole life story._

As everyone began to retire to their dens, I headed for my nest, talking and joking about things with Honeypaw, Cinderpaw, Hollypaw and Poppypaw. As I finally settled down, I yawned, closing my eyes, only having them reopen immediately. _WindClan! _


	5. Ambush

**Chapter 5: Ambush**

**Hey guys! Don't forget to review! It'd mean a lot to me if you guys left your personal comments on this. :) **

I jumped out of my nest, cackles raised - claws unsheathed. There was a sudden yowl, and then a startling battle cry shriek. Honeypaw, sleeping in the nest next to mine, jolted up immediately, her blue eyes wide. "What was that?" she stammered, looking around the den frantically.

"I think I have an idea…" I muttered as I rushed out of the den, followed by the other startled apprentices. Immediately I spotted WindClan warriors near the front entrance. At the sight of us ThunderClan warriors, they immediately scattered, disappearing. _What in the name of StarClan are they doing? _I hissed. _Cowards! _I attempted to run through all of the books, trying to pinpoint what time this was happening. _They're going to trick us! _

Dustpelt suddenly burst through the entrance, gasping for breath. "Firestar!" he panted, rushing towards the ThunderClan leader already making his way towards the tabby. "WindClan warriors! All over our territory!" He gulped in another breath of air as if all of it had been knocked out of him.

Sandstorm was close behind her mate as Firestar stopped in front of Dustpelt. He looked at the state of the WindClan warrior, then back at his Clan who was now coming out of their dens.

"Dustpelt, what's wrong?" Firestar asked. Although his voice remained calm, I could see a flash of worry in his eyes.

Dustpelt had finally gained his breath as he continued, "I couldn't sleep and decided to go for a walk. I was barely a few foxlengths away from camp before WindClan stench hit. It was everywhere, and before I knew it, one of their warriors knocked into me and I was winded."

Firestar looked back at Sandstorm who nodded and bounded to Brambleclaw, telling the deputy what was going on. "Gather up a battle patrol!" Brambleclaw yowled. "We have no time to waste!"

Clan members gathered around as Brambleclaw assigned them things to do. Before I could approach them to tell them the actual motives of WindClan's battle, I was stopped by Jaypaw.

"Echopaw? What's going on?" he demanded.

"I-" Before I had a chance to explain, I was cut off.

"Echopaw! You and Hollypaw will be the last two joining my back up patrol!" Brambleclaw meowed. He glanced back at the other cats. "Brook, Stormfur, Thornclaw, Brightheart, Cloudtail, Squirrelflight, Honeypaw and Graystripe!" He named off the other cats in the patrol. The cats named immediately gathered around Brambleclaw. He nodded to them, and they ran towards the edge of camp, preparing for the battle. I glanced at Hollypaw, wondering if we should join them. _I need to tell them what's going to happen! Onestar isn't thinking straight!_

"Dustpelt, Ashfur, Berrynose, Mousewhisker, Sandstorm, Lionpaw, Poppypaw, Spiderleg, Hazeltail! You'll be the first patrol attacking with me!" Firestar meowed as he and the patrol vanished out of sight.

_No! _

"Echopaw!" Jaypaw hissed, gaining my attention again. I glanced back at him. _He's still here? I thought he'd leave…_ "What's going on?"

I sighed. I didn't have much of a choice. I would have to tell Jaypaw everything. He might think I'm insane… er, mousebrained, but it's all I can do. "Just as Dustpelt said, WindClan are attacking," I meowed, glancing back at Brambleclaw. He was giving orders to the patrol. Hollypaw had already joined them, her green eyes narrowing at me. She was practically telling me to get my butt over there. "But RiverClan is going to join them. We're going to be really outnumbered. We're going to have to get ShadowClan's help!"

Jaypaw narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to say something. I clamped my tail over his mouth to stop him. "Don't ask how I know," I mewed hastily. "I just do. You have to trust me."

Before Jaypaw could snap at me, Squirrelflight ran up to us. Her eyes glimmered. "Echopaw, you remember those battle techniques?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks to the best mentor."

Squirrelflight smirked. "No time for flattery now!" she teased, hitting my head with her paw. I shrugged, happiness overflowing through me. _Now we just have to convince Brambleclaw to get ShadowClan's help before-_

"Elders! Go join the queens in the nursery! Any cats who didn't get called to join the patrols, guard the camp! We need to be ready before-" Brambleclaw started, up on the Highledge, only to get cut off as Lionpaw appeared, gasping for breath. My eyes widened; his ear was bleeding and there was a small gash on his side. _How? His power is that he can't get injured in battle! It's worse than I thought…_

"Brambleclaw!" he gasped. He shook his head, already recovering. "There are too many warriors! RiverClan is helping them! We're being ambushed! We need more help - we're too outnumbered. Everyone's at the Abandoned Twoleg Place."

Brambleclaw nodded, glancing back at our backup patrol. "Come on!" he howled, following Lionpaw outside. Squirrelflight bounded after them. I was about to follow before Jaypaw stopped me.

"Be safe, Echopaw," he meowed.

I glanced over my shoulder at him. A warm feeling rushed through me. "I will!" I promised, as I ran off along with Hollypaw, catching up with the patrol. I could feel my paws were tingling, and deep down I felt sick. I was terrified at the thought of actually fighting other cats. I started to run through all the battle moves from the Field Guide, and what Squirrelflight had taught me.

"We're going to be alright!" Hollypaw meowed, obviously noticing my anxiety. I glanced back at the black she-cat, nodding.

"I hope so!" I responded.

Brambleclaw was running at the lead. I saw the dark brown tabby glance back as he nodded, "Come on!" he encouraged. Everyone sped up the pace while I slowed down, gulping in a breath of air. Thornclaw slowed down to my pace, noticing my troubles.

"Need help?"

I shot him a glare, but then nodded, realizing how dry my throat felt. He pushed me forward, giving me a boost, as he raced behind me.

Before we were even a few foxlengths near the Abandoned Twoleg Place, there was a yowl. Out of nowhere, cats appeared. They smelled of both RiverClan and ShadowClan.

_Shit!_

"Fox-dung!" Lionpaw cursed, clawing at the ground.

"Surprised?" sneered a ginger with white paws.

"WindClan, RiverClan - attack!" cried out another cat as they rushed towards us.

There was a collision of fur as my vision was blurred. Cats hissed and snarled. I attempted to find a familiar face - Thornclaw, Hollypaw, Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight… anyone!

"Echopaw, watch out!" Hollypaw suddenly shrieked as a body crashed into mine, winding me. I fell to the ground, pinned. I struggled, then finally looked up to see my attacker - a black tom with amber eyes. _Breezepelt! Well… Breezepaw now…_

"Hm… The little loner that joined ThunderClan?" he sneered. "You should freshen up on those battle tactics, loner!" he hissed.

I glared. _Still as rude and arrogant as ever. _

"Maybe you need to learn some manners!" I hissed as I flung Breezepaw off of me. He was heavy, but I was able to fling him off at least.

Breezepelt glowered at me. "Why you!" he snarled as he slashed at my cheek, leaving three bloody scrapes. I recoiled at the sudden stinging on my face, but narrowed my own eyes, letting out a battle hiss as I raked my unsheathed claws against his side. He howled in fury, then whipped around, attempting to give me a much harsher attack.

I dodged his blow, landing my own on his back. He huffed, winded, and fell to the ground. "How do you feel about a loner defeating you?" I taunted. I felt bad deep down. Breezepelt was only manipulated by the jealousy of his mother, Nightcloud. Crowfeather was one of my favorite characters - he was a lot like his son, Jayfeather.

Hollypaw raced towards me, distracting me from my thoughts. "Echopaw! We have to get help!"

I nodded. "Let's go to ShadowClan!"

She stared at me, her green eyes wide. "W-what? ShadowClan?" she stammered over the battle yowls around us. "They won't help! Blackstar hates-"

"It doesn't matter! He won't let innocent cats die!" I snapped. I studied my friend. Her ear was nicked and one of her claws was torn. _We won't make this battle out alive if we don't get help - we're way outnumbered! _

Hollypaw hesitated, then probably weighed the circumstances. She let out a sigh. "Fine!" she meowed as snuck from the battle and to ShadowClan border.

"Please help us! WindClan and RiverClan are ambushing us!" I pleaded. We had been found crossing the ShadowClan border by a late-night patrol consisting of Rowanclaw, Russetfur and Oakfur.

Russetfur glared. "How do we know you're not faking it so you can just attack our Clan?" she hissed.

I glared back. "Really? Do you honestly think I did these injuries to myself?" I snarled, losing my temper. Hollypaw nudged me, reminding me to keep it down.

While Russetfur sniffed and scanned our wounds, Blackstar emerged from his den. His white fur bristled at the sight of two ThunderClan cats in his camp.

"What's going on?" he questioned his deputy.

Russetfur glanced back at us, her gaze wary. "These two claim that WindClan and RiverClan are attacking them."

"Blackstar, please help us!" I begged before he could say something to Russetfur's statement.

"How do we-"

"Oh, just trust us!" I dipped my head to him.

Silence followed my plea. I hissed, digging my claws into the dirt. I lifted my head up, glaring at the white ShadowClan leader. "My clanmates are either being shredded or killed at this very moment!"

Blackstar blinked, meeting my gaze evenly before he muttered something to his deputy. Russetfur stared back at him before he shot her a look, causing her to nod and call out, "Oakfur, Rowanclaw, Toadfoot, Ivytail, Smokefoot and Owlpaw!" Cats lazily slipped out of their dens, walking up to her.

"What is it?" a ginger tom demanded, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Go with these she-cats," Russetfur nodded her head to Hollypaw and I.

The ginger tom, who I realized was Rowanclaw, gave a look of disbelief. He then noticed the wounds on Hollypaw and I then exchanged a look with the other cats present.

Tawnypelt slipped out of the nursery. "Let me help!" she pleaded, staring up at Blackstar desperately. "I want to help!"

"Why? Because it was your Clan? Where's your loyalty!" hissed Russetfur.

"I think Tawnypelt _should_ go," Rowanclaw defended his mate.

Russetfur snorted. She glanced at her leader, but when he didn't give a disapproving look, she sighed. "Fine."

I looked at the patrol as a few others joined, wanting to help. I glanced back at Blackstar and Russetfur, dipping my head to them. "Thank you!" I meowed gratefully over my shoulder as Hollypaw, Tawnypelt, Rowanclaw and the other ShadowClan warriors followed me to the battlefield.

My paws ached from running but I couldn't stop. The ShadowClan cats and Hollypaw were hot on my trail as I lead them to our spot. They hadn't noticed we appeared as I spotted they were all still fighting. I didn't see any dead cats. _Yet…_

"Attack!" Rowanclaw howled as we pelted down into the battlefield. The WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan warriors looked up in shock as ShadowClan joined the battle, latching onto the RiverClan and WindClan warriors. Brambleclaw's eyes widened, before he glanced back at Hollypaw and I. His eyes softened before he helped Rowanclaw take down a hefty WindClan tom.

I followed them down to the battlefield, only to be rammed into by someone. I regained my balance, turning quickly, my hackles raised as I met the eyes of Breezepaw.

His amber eyes met mine as we stared at one another before he backed away slowly, disappearing among the undergrowth. I frowned. _Well that was easy…_

"WindClan, RiverClan! Retreat!" a voice howled as they began to disappear one by one.

Brambleclaw waited for the cats to gather around him before nodding to all of us. "No major injuries?" he asked. No one responded as he glanced towards the way to the Abandoned Twoleg Place. "Let's hurry!"

We all followed the ThunderClan deputy to the Abandoned Twoleg Place. I glanced at Hollypaw. We hadn't crossed the Abandoned Twoleg Place on our way to ShadowClan border. How bad was it? Was everyone alright? I willed my paws to take me faster as we finally made it.

We plunged into the battle, immediately attacking any WindClan or RiverClan cat in sight. Hollypaw and I fought off a RiverClan warrior. After he ran off, a tabby apprentice attacked me from behind. I threw him off, turning around to face him. He hissed, then slammed me into the ground with his weight. I gasped, the smell of water and fish enveloping me. _RiverClan._

"Hey fatty, lay off the fish, won't you?" I taunted.

"Shut up, squirrel-muncher!" he countered, clawing at my face in the same place Breezepaw had. I hissed in fury at the sudden pain as I flung the apprentice off of me. He fell backwards as I advanced on him. He avoided my blow as he stared up at me, then ran off into the trees. I snorted. "Coward!" I called after him.

"Retreat!" howled Onestar as the rest of the WindClan and RiverClan warriors piled away, attempting to escape.

Firestar had gotten up, blood dripping from his ginger pelt. His green eyes stared at Onestar in shock. "Onestar!" he called, catching the WindClan leader's attention. "I'd never think you would do such a thing!" I felt my eyes begin to water at the tone Firestar used. Onestar and Firestar were such close friends. _He just did this to prove he isn't close to ThunderClan… but he's going about it the wrong way! _

Onestar spat then ran off into the forest, his warriors following behind him.

Rowanclaw limped over towards Firestar. "Thank you," Firestar meowed, dipping his head to the ShadowClan warrior.

Rowanclaw nodded. "Just don't think we owe ThunderClan any favors," he meowed as he gathered his warriors and left.

Firestar watched as the ShadowClan warriors disappeared into the undergrowth, then looked back at his clanmates gathering around. "How are everyone's wounds?" he asked.

I turned around to see Leafpool and Jaypaw had made their way over.

"Is anyone severely wounded?" Firestar repeated, worry edged in his voice. No cat answered, aside from moans coming from farther off. Every cat turned around to see Squirrelflight laying in a heap on the ground.

_Shit! I forgot about Squirrelflight! _I scolded myself as I ran up to my mentor, followed by Firestar, Leafpool, Jaypaw, and some other warriors.

Her side was cut pretty deeply, with blood pooling out, while it soaked her dark ginger fur. She was panting, her breathing coming out in short, raspy breaths.

"Squirrelflight!" I gasped. Squirrelflight turned her green gaze to me.

"Don't worry," she rasped. "I hardly feel it…" she murmured, attempting to stand up, only to fall back down again.

"Squirrelflight!" howled Hollypaw and Lionpaw as they made their way over to their "mother".

"I said I'm okay," Squirrelflight snapped, annoyance edging her mew.

Remembering she survives this wound, I let out a sigh. _I could've done something to stop this… Why didn't I remember? I was so caught up in getting rid of the WindClan and RiverClan warriors and getting ShadowClan I completely forgot about Squirrelflight!_

"Are you injured, Echopaw?" Squirrelflight's worried mew brought me back to reality. I nodded, although the three scratches were stinging like crazy.

"I'm fine…" I muttered.

She narrowed her eyes. I let out a sigh as I explained, "Breezepaw scratched me and it didn't hurt that bad until a RiverClan apprentice scratched me in the same spot. Now it hurts like crazy."

Squirrelflight sighed. "Apprentices nowadays only know how to make a previous wound hurt more, not make their own…" she muttered.

Leafpool nudged her sister lightly, attempting to help hoist her up. Brambleclaw was immediately at her side, helping aid. I felt my heart tug with pain. _Brambleclaw's such a nice, loyal cat… And he loves Squirrelflight… But finding out that Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze aren't their kits tears them apart… I can't let that happen…_

I followed everyone else back to camp, worried for my mentor.

"Echopaw," Jaypaw's mew suddenly sounded from beside me. I glanced at the gray tabby.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Jaypaw's sightless eyes were staring at the ground as he meowed, "Y-you… you knew that the battle would happen… didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah…"

"Then you knew that Squirrelflight would get injured too, didn't you?"

"I…" I sighed. I couldn't lie to him. "Yes."

Jaypaw continued to stare at the ground. I saw his eyes narrow. "Then why didn't you do anything? Is she going to die from it?" he demanded.

The guilt I had felt previously instantly rushed through me again. "She's not going to die from it… and I forgot. I was so busy and caught up with making sure we got ShadowClan to help it completely passed my mind… I'm really sorry, Jaypaw… But she doesn't die, I promise."

Jaypaw sighed. "Well, if she recovers… that's fine, I guess," he mewed. I walked on ahead, my thoughts racing through my mind at rapid speed.

_Yes… but when she does, she reveals a secret better kept hidden._


	6. Loneliness

**Chapter 6: Loneliness**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review! :) **

I let out a sigh as I walked into the medicine cat den. I was supposed to get a daily poultice on my wound if I didn't want to have an infection. And before as a "twoleg", I would always injure myself one way or another. I wasn't ready to chance it as a cat.

"Wait one moment!" Leafpool called as I made my way into the medicine den. I nodded, then looked around. It was just as the Erins had explained it. I smiled to myself. _I wonder if this is all just a dream… and then I'll wake up, realize I forgot to do my math homework, and my mom will yell at me…_ I sighed, shaking my head. I didn't want to think about that.

I waited for Leafpool to come back, my tail curled neatly over my paws. I let out a yawn. I had woken up earlier than usual so that way I could get the poultice and then ask Firestar about my training. Although, knowing Squirrelflight, she'd still want to train me. But I didn't want her healing to take any longer than it needed to.

"Here!" Leafpool meowed, returning with the leaves. She began to crush them into a poultice. Before she could apply them to my wounds, Jaypaw walked back in. I attempted to calculate what time it was - if they had gone to the Moonpool last night, then Jaypaw must've gotten his full name!

"Hello, Jay_feather,"_ I greeted him. Jayfeather blinked, then shook his head. I assumed that he was getting used to me knowing everything about the Clans.

Jayfeather addressed his mentor, "I'll apply the poultice." Leafpool looked up from her work, then nodded. "Alright," she mewed, "I'll go check on Squirrelflight."

My mentor was still resting from her wounds, but she was kept separate from the other warriors. I sighed. Us apprentices had made a nest for her to sleep on, but she was getting weaker than Leafpool had expected. She would get better, but it would take a while.

As Jayfeather applied the poultice to my wound, I kept thinking about me turning back into a twoleg. What was I going to do if I disappeared all of a sudden, and this all turned out to be a dream? Or what if it was real, and they would all wonder where I was? The poultice stung as it met the three cuts on my wound and I pulled away.

"Stop moving," Jayfeather mewed, "if you want to get better."

I sighed, biting my tongue as I willed him to hurry up.

"Jayfeather…" I started. "Can… can you keep a secret?"

Jayfeather blinked. "Depends on what it is."

"Well… what would you say if I was originally a twoleg turned into a cat?" I challenged.

Jayfeather snorted. "I would say it'd be about as mouse-brained as all the other things you tell me."

I sighed. _Of course he wouldn't believe me… _

"But," he continued, washing his paws in the small river, "considering all the other stuff you've told me that have come true…" his voice trailed off as he shook his head. "It's still mouse-brained, though."

I shrugged. "I knew you wouldn't believe me…" I murmured, staring at my paws.

"I never said I didn't believe you," Jayfeather countered. "It's just odd."

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to burst your bubble, then," I meowed, getting up. "And sorry again for trusting you." As I headed out of the den, I was stopped by Jayfeather calling me.

"Echopaw, wait," he meowed. I stopped, turning around to face him.

"It's really hard to believe, I'll admit that," he started. "But considering all the other stuff you've told me, I'm going to have to believe you."

I frowned.

"After all, you knew about the sun vanishing," he meowed.

"Solar eclipse," I corrected.

"Whatever," he shook his head. "And you promised that Squirrelflight would heal, and even though she's weak, her wound isn't infected… yet." He sighed. "I must be mouse-brained to think this… but I guess you're telling me the truth."

"Why wouldn't I?" I challenged. "I've never done anything to you." I instantly regretted it. I would never become friends with my favorite character if I kept snapping at him every time he argued with me.

Jayfeather sighed. "Say whatever you like," he mewed, "but I believe you."

I blinked. _Well… okay then. _"Promise you won't tell anyone? I don't want the whole Clan to lose faith in me… or think I'm going insane."

Jayfeather smirked. "Don't worry, the only one who'll think you've got bees in your brain is me."

I narrowed my eyes. "Thanks."

The gray tabby let out a small _mrrow_ of amusement as he glanced back at the herb storage. "You'd better go to Firestar," he meowed, "if you ever want to earn your warrior name."

"Oh, right! Thanks!" I meowed as I sped off into the direction of Firestar's den. Jayfeather was following beside me as he murmured, "don't you think Lionblaze and Hollyleaf deserve to know?"

I skidded to a stop, right in front of the Highledge. I glanced around to see no cats were paying attention, then hissed, "Are you sure?" Although I trusted the two (who had received their warrior names a little while after the battle, along with Honeyfern and Poppyfrost who had gotten theirs before them) I didn't want more cats to think I was insane.

"I'm positive. They'll keep a secret."

"That's not what I'm worried about…" I muttered. I shook my head. "Well, if you think that's the right thing to do, be my guest! I need to talk with Firestar." I left Jayfeather at the Highledge as I bounded up, reaching the leader's den. I hesitated, then called, "Firestar?"

"Come in," his clear mew sounded. I brushed past the moss and ferns hanging in front of the entrance. Firestar was sitting, not facing me, but turned around when he heard me walked in. His green eyes glimmered. "Echoflight," he mewed, "it's good to see you."

"You too," I meowed. I glanced around nervously before asking, "Umm… when do you think I'll receive my warrior name?" With Honeyfern and Poppyfrost and Cinderheart with their own warrior names, that left me the only apprentice in the apprentice den. I didn't want to sleep by myself.

Firestar sighed. "That is a problem…" he murmured. Standing up, he stretched, then added, "we could assign you a new mentor to substitute in for Squirrelflight, if you'd like."

I nodded. "That'd be great."

Firestar nodded. "I'll think about who'll be able to carry up your training."

I dipped my head to the leader. "Thank you," I meowed as I headed out. I sighed, a little bit upset. _Why couldn't he give me my warrior name now? _I shook my head. _They think I was a loner before. It'd be inappropriate._ I sighed. I didn't like being alone.

I bounded down from the Highledge, glancing around the camp. I spotted Honeyfern speaking with Cinderheart and Poppyfrost, and Hollyleaf was arguing with Berrynose and Lionblaze. I was tempted to go up and teach Berrynose a lesson, but he'd use the retort "you're just an apprentice!" and not listen to a word I'm saying. I glanced towards the entrance of the camp. Maybe I could go for a walk…?

I stretched in the warmth of the sunrays outside the camp. I started for WindClan border. Maybe I could get a drink out of the stream, or just relax. _I wish we were in the old forest… then I could go to Sunningrocks. That is, if RiverClan wouldn't continuously fight over them._

When I finally made it to WindClan border, I was stopped by a patrol consisting of Breezepaw, Heatherpaw, Crowfeather and Larkpaw. Breezepaw sneered at the sight of me, "What are you doing here, apprentice?" he spat.

I narrowed my eyes. If Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze were warriors, then Heathertail and Breezepelt had their warrior names.

Crowfeather glared at his son. "She's not crossing the border," he hissed.

Breezepelt met his father's gaze defiantly. "She's too close for comfort," he retorted. He shot another glare at me.

Heathertail snorted. "Can we just go?"

"No!" Breezepelt snarled. His amber eyes met mine. "She humiliated me at the battle."

"That battle wasn't worth fighting," Crowfeather snapped. He cuffed Breezepelt harshly, making the black cat whine. "Leave it. For an apprentice she obviously is a better fighter than you."

Even I flinched at Crowfeather's words. _That's his son for God's sake! The least he could do was show some sympathy… but afterall, he never liked Nightcloud… He only became her mate so he could prove he was loyal to WindClan. I guess Breezepelt knows that…_

Crowfeather's blue eyes searched me before glancing to the rest of the patrol. "Leave her alone. Let's hurry up and catch some prey for the Clan," he then turned swiftly before disappearing further into WindClan territory. Heathertail glanced at me before following with Larkpaw. Only Breezepelt remained. His eyes continued to glare me down.

"Can you stop that?" I snapped. "I've already had a really bad day."

"Why?" Breezepelt sneered. "Because you're the only apprentice left in ThunderClan?"

I glowered. "What's your problem anyway, Breezepelt?" I snapped. "So what, I humiliated you in front of everyone. Do you really have to be so upset about it? There are tons of more battles for you to prove how worthy you are." _Should I prevent him from joining the Dark Forest?_

Breezepelt spat, "why should I listen to you? You're just a disgusting loner with no worth whatsoever."

_Maybe not. _

"I get that you're only doing this because you want your father's attention," I continued, "and you're sick of your mother. But you're honestly going about it the wrong way."

Breezepelt's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"Know that? Don't ask…" I muttered, staring at the ground. "Can you just leave me alone now?"

Breezepelt hesitated and I prepared myself for another biting retort, but instead, he began to head back to camp. He shot me one last look before bounding off into the distance, disappearing.

I sighed. _What was that all about?_ I layed down, resting my head on my paws. _Maybe I could stay out here all day…_

"Echopaw!" a mew shouted in the distance. I lifted my head to see Firestar bounding towards me. I got up, turning around to face him.

"Firestar!" I exclaimed, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

Firestar sighed. "I was going to appoint your new mentor today, but you weren't in camp."

Shame washed over me in waves. I dipped my head to him. "Sorry! I was…"

Firestar blinked, sympathy in his eyes. "Well… meet your new mentor," he meowed. I looked around him. There was no other cat. _Oh! _

"Y-you?" I stammered. "_You're _going to be my mentor?"

_No freaking way…._

Firestar nodded. "Do you not want me to be your mentor?"

I shook my head. "No, no! That's not it! It's just… wow… I didn't think the Clan leader would want to be my mentor…"

"Well, Squirrelflight said that you're easy to train, and I haven't had an apprentice since Brambleclaw…" Firestar's mew trailed off. His green eyes glimmered. "Don't worry, you'll only be stuck with this old ThunderClan leader for a little bit before you're in the warriors den."

I smiled. "Thank you…" I meowed as I followed him back to camp.

_Maybe I won't be so lonely anymore… _


	7. Flames

**Chapter 7: Flames  
I do not own the warriors series! they belong to their respected owners. :) I do own Echopaw though, and some more original characters to be announced! ****Don't forget to review! Thanks for reading xx**

It's been a few moons since Firestar has become my substitute mentor. He was a great mentor, just as the books had stated; although I knew everything, he still went over every little detail and made sure I understood everything. He was a loyal and smart cat.

"Your leap-and-hold is working out very nicely," he mewed as we headed back to camp from yet another battle training session. I beamed. "Really?"

He nodded. "Would I ever lie to you?"

I shrugged. "Who knows?" I meowed. At that, Firestar gave a good-natured growl and chased me back to camp. We ran into the camp, myself panting while he still chased me around.

"Firestar, don't eat Echopaw!" teased Squirrelflight. Firestar and I skidded to a halt at the sound of my previous mentor's _mrrow_ of amusement. "I still need her as my apprentice!"

I purred, amused, as I made my way over to Squirrelflight. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Bored and useless," was her reply.

I frowned. "I was asking about your wound, but I guess that works as well," I let out a short _mrrow _of amusement.

Squirrelflight sighed. "Sorry," she mumbled, "I'm just bored! There's nothing to do!" she wailed. I let out another _mrrow _of laughter. _Squirrelflight is honestly so much like me… _I thought. _I'm glad she was my mentor… even though she won't be able to continue my training…_

Firestar nudged me and then his daughter affectionately. "Well, I have to go do some leader-stuff," he mewed. Squirrelflight snorted. "Sure…" she mewed jokingly. Firestar glared at her but _mrrow_ed nonetheless as he bounded off to his den.

"Squirrelflight," mewed Brambleclaw approaching us with a squirrel in his mouth. "I brought you your favorite - young squirrel."

Squirrelflight let out a purr. "Thanks, Brambleclaw." He nodded, setting down the squirrel beside her. He glanced at me, nodding.

"Hello, Echopaw," he mewed.

I nodded back. "Hi, Brambleclaw." As the two began to speak, I backed away slowly, leaving them alone. _I can't let Ashfur ruin them… I won't! _

"Hey, Echopaw!" Hollyleaf mewed, snapping me back to reality. I turned around to see her and Lionblaze making their way towards me. Since their warrior duties were different from my apprentice ones, we hardly ever got to see each other. I bounded up to her, brushing my cheek against hers. "Good to see you guys," I meowed, doing the same to Lionblaze.

"You too," Lionblaze mewed.

"You want to share?" I offered the rest of my rabbit to them. They nodded, beginning to eat the rest. "How is it like being a warrior?" I asked while they ate.

"Great!" Hollyleaf exclaimed through a mouthful of rabbit. "Although the vigil was freezing." She shivered, as if she were reliving the night.

"Must be better than searching the elder's for ticks!" I mewed bitterly.

Lionblaze shrugged. "Maybe."

I glowered. "Alright, beat this: how about sleeping _alone _in the apprentice's den?"

Lionblaze smirked. "I guess that's nothing compared to Hollyleaf's freezing vigil."

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes. "We shared the same vigil."

"It wasn't that cold."

"You're such a liar."

"You're such a mouse - you couldn't even handle a little gust of wind?"

"I'm not a WindClan cat!" Hollyleaf snapped. I lowered my gaze to my paws. _But you kind of are…_

I talked more with Lionblaze and Hollyleaf, laughing about some things, arguing about some things. It was great. I didn't feel very lonely anymore. But as the sun began to set I remembered I had to retire to my apprentice den… alone. "Bye guys," I meowed as I headed for the den. It was colder without any other cat in it with me. I fixed my nest, resting into it as my eyes remained wide open. _It's alright, you're not alone… The warriors den is right next to you. You'll be fine._

Although my consciousness was slipping, I willed myself to stay awake a little longer. I wasn't ready to sleep yet. I was scared to - what if I woke up one day and all this was a dream?

Despite my worries, my eyes drooped and I was greeted by blackness.

When I opened them again there was light shining. I frowned. _Am I in StarClan?_

"Hello, Echopaw," said a warm voice. I spun around to see the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat, Spottedleaf. Her smile was warm as she made her way towards me, her amber eyes glistening.

"S-Spottedleaf," I stammered. I then dipped my head to the respected medicine cat. She let out a purr.

"No need to act formal," she meowed. I lifted my head in time to see her begin to walk off. She looked over her shoulder, gesturing for me to follow. "Come along," she mewed. I nodded, standing up and following after her.

"Where are we going, Spottedleaf?" I asked. She didn't answer and kept walking forward.

I squinted as fog began to cloud around everywhere. "Spottedleaf!" I called. The she-cat barely disappeared among the mist. "S-Spottedleaf!" I shouted, fear lacing my words. Where was I?

All of a sudden, heat rushed to my face. I shook my head. I felt like I was burning up. _What's going on?_

"Spottedleaf!" I called once more as the heat became stronger. Everything was beginning to fade.

"_Stop the flames that will drown the Three…" _I heard her whisper.

I woke up panting. _Fire! _My eyes widened as I ran out of the apprentice's den. "Fire!" I howled as the bright golden-and-red flames began to flicker and crackle, growing much bigger and powerful.

Cats ran out of their dens at my call. Daisy and Ferncloud were helping Millie take her kits out as they carried their own as well.

"Everyone!" Firestar called, racing down from the Highledge, Sandstorm and Brambleclaw beside him. "Escape to the Abandoned Twoleg Place!" He waited at the entrance as cats scrambled to escape the hollow I coughed. The smoke was getting thicker as the fire grew.

I turned to find Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. They were no where to be seen. Panic rose up in me. "Echopaw!" a voice hissed. I spun around to find Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather!" I gasped with relief. "Where's Hollyleaf and Lionblaze?"

"That's what I was going to ask you," he meowed.

To answer our question, Hollyleaf bounded up to us. "Echopaw! Jayfeather!" she called. Lionblaze was following alongside her after helping some of the elder's out of the den.

"Where's Squirrelflight?" Lionblaze asked.

I shook my head. The flames were getting bigger and the hollow was burning hot. Thick smoke was filling the air, making it harder to breathe.

"We have to get out of here!" I coughed.

"The apprentice's den!" Hollyleaf gasped. The shelter there wasn't that great, but with the fire already blocking our exit, we had no choice.

"No, up here!"

We looked up to see Squirrelflight near the ledge of the camp.

_No! Oh no, this is where we run into Ashfur! I've got to stop this!_

"A secret passageway out of camp?" Hollyleaf exclaimed as we ran up to the ledge. Squirrelflight's eyes narrowed.

"As if you didn't know," she meowed.

Lionblaze helped Jayfeather up as the rest of us began to climb. "I'll help you," he meowed. "Just follow the sound of my voice."

"I can do it myself!" Jayfeather snapped, although I could see he was slightly quivering.

We finally made it up, Squirrelflight the first one, Lionblaze the second, Hollyleaf the third, Jayfeather fourth, and me last. We relaxed on the burnt grass. At least we weren't stuck in the camp. "Thank StarClan…" I murmured.

"Let's go," Squirrelflight meowed, standing up. We began to follow her, but before we could walk any further, a fiery branch landed in front of us. I jumped back. _Shit! No, Ashfur! God damnit! _

I then spotted the pale gray tabby pelt with the darker flecks and the gleaming blue eyes.

"Ashfur!" Squirrelflight meowed, sounded relieved that her Clanmate was here to help. "Help me get these four out of here!"

Ashfur walked forward as if he would help move the burning tree log, but only put a paw on it, pushing it closer to us. We backed away till we were at the edge. I glanced back. If we backed away any further then we would be falling into our burning hollow.

Hollyleaf let out a gasp and I saw Lionblaze narrow his amber eyes, his claws unsheathing and sheathing. Jayfeather was frowning, trying to figure out what was going on.

_How am I going to stop this? It's already too late! _

"Ashfur, stop that! What are you doing?" Squirrelflight demanded.

"No, Squirrelflight!" Ashfur snapped. "Do you know what it feels like for me to see you with Brambleclaw? It's a thorn in my chest, every time. I loved you, but you casted me aside! I feel like I'm bleeding my life out on stones every day." His blue eyes looked back at us, an evil glimmer in them. "Now it's time for you to feel the pain I felt!"

Squirrelflight's eyes widened in horror at the realization of what he was going to do. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

_No! SHIT._

"That won't work, Ashfur," she murmured. She then looked him dead in the eye. "Because-"

I cut her off, yowling as I jumped over the fire and pounced on Ashfur.

"Echopaw!" Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Squirrelflight all shouted as we rolled into the fire and were engulfed.

"Is she alright?"

"Is she breathing?"

"Ashfur's fine… Echopaw's got to be!"

"Shh! She's breathing! Be quiet - she's waking up!"

I opened my eyes to see Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Squirrelflight and Leafpool all standing around me. We were in the medicine cat den.

I tried to stand up, only to fall back down in the process. "What happened?" I murmured. My ears were ringing and my head felt as if it were going to explode.

"You and Ashfur were hit by the fire," Squirrelflight mewed. Her voice cracked as she continued, "we thought you both would have died… but you were barely harmed at all. You were as cold as stone, though, and Ashfur was nearly burnt to a crisp. You were asleep for a couple of days."

_A couple days!_ The feeling had returned to my legs as I stood up, successfully. "What about my training?"

Squirrelflight exchanged a glance with Leafpool. "We don't know yet," she meowed. "Firestar said that he'll decide once you're awake."

I sighed. "Great…" I muttered. "It's seems like I won't get my warrior name until I'm dead."

Squirrelflight looked at me sympathetically. "Well… you're awake now." Her green eyes glimmered. "I'll be right back!" she called as she exited the medicine den.

Hollyleaf rubbed against my cheek. "I'm so glad you're alive," she murmured. "I thought you would have died… and Ashfur too. It's a miracle you're both alive."

I looked around the medicine den. "Where's Ashfur?" I asked.

"He woke up a little bit before you," Leafpool answered. "I gave him some honey and poultice for his burns and sent him on his way." She frowned. "But I am wondering _how _you two were the only ones that were engulfed by the fire."

My ears flattened against my head. They're going to be wondering _why _I attacked Ashfur for no reason whatsoever. And almost had us both _killed! _

Before I had the chance to be questioned again, Firestar's yowl rang throughout the camp: "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

I clambered out of the medicine den, followed by everyone else as we watched to see what would happen. I spotted Squirrelflight sitting on the Highledge next to Firestar. My eyes widened. _No way…_

"Echopaw," Firestar started, "you have been training hard for many moons, and Squirrelflight and I both know it's time for you to earn your warrior name."

Happiness jolted through me. Lionblaze nudged me forward. I glanced back at my friends. His amber eyes were bright and Hollyleaf's were glimmering. Even Jayfeather looked happy about it as well. "Good luck!" they called after me as I made my way to the Highledge.

Squirrelflight met me at the bottom and led me to the top; to the same place where I was first introduced to the Clans. _It's been so long since then…_ I thought as everyone gathered around to watch. Honeyfern and Poppyfrost were beaming while Cinderheart was trying to catch my attention. I glanced over at her and she was mouthing 'good luck!'. I smiled, my eyes beaming.

"StarClan, this apprentice has been training hard under your warrior code. I commend her as a warrior to you in her return," I met Firestar's gaze and saw his green eyes were glittering with pride. "Echopaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?'

I nodded, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. Echopaw, from this day forward you will be known as Echoflight. StarClan honors your outstanding loyalty and trust. We honor you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!"

"Echoflight! Echoflight! Echoflight!" chanted the Clan. I felt the warmth and happiness rush through me again in waves.

"Echoflight, as part of tradition you will sit vigil later tonight, but for now, you are free to celebrate with your Clanmates." Firestar leaned forward, murmuring so only I could hear, "I'm proud of you, Echoflight."

"Thank you so much, Firestar," I whispered back.

As I bounded down from the Highledge once the meeting came to a close, I was immediately greeted by my friends, all congratulating me.

"Great name, Echoflight!" Poppyfrost commented.

"Congratulations!" Honeyfern and Cinderheart chided.

"Echoflight! Echoflight!" Hollyleaf and Lionblaze chanted in unison.

I purred. Looking over I saw Jayfeather who bowed his head.

I smiled, then was greeted by more warriors.

"Well if it isn't the great warrior, Echoflight!" Graystripe meowed dramatically.

"Nice name, loner," Dustpelt meowed teasingly.

"Great job surviving the tragic life of an apprentice!" Longtail joked, as the blind tabby came up to touch noses with me.

"Echoflight!" Berrynose and Thornclaw exclaimed.

I purred. This was where I belonged. ThunderClan is my home, where I was treated as a Clanmate, and everyone here was my family.


	8. Misty

**Chapter 8: Misty  
Thanks once again for reading! Hope you all are enjoying the story! If you can't wait for me to finish it on here, feel free to check it out on my Wattpad and Quizilla accounts. :) wattpad: thatsilentdreamer. Quizilla: xXxFeatherwishxXx. **

"Echoflight! You're on dawn patrol with Lionblaze, Spiderleg, and Berrynose!" Brambleclaw's voice called. I opened my eyes, previously closed while I was sleeping, and stretched. I walked out of the warrior's den, yawning, as I met up with the three toms.

"So, where are we patrolling?" I asked.

"Near WindClan border," answered Spiderleg as we started off. I frowned. I hadn't been near WindClan border until that one time when I had run into Breezepelt, Crowfeather, and Heathertail. It was the first time I had seen them (excluding Breezepelt), and to be honest, I was fangirling on the inside when I saw Crowfeather. I liked his character, nonetheless… he was similar to Jayfeather in a way (although in my personal opinion, Jayfeather was better). He just suffered a lot… losing all the cats he loved.

Lionblaze looked over his shoulder at me. "You okay?" he asked. I shook my head, getting rid of my thoughts. I looked up to meet his gaze.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reassured him. Lionblaze frowned, but didn't say anything as we continued to make our way to WindClan border.

We finally reached the river that separates WindClan from ThunderClan. I took a sniff. Some WindClan cats were here previously, but only to reset their markers. They left with nothing else. _Thank StarClan! _I thought, relieved.

"No sign of WindClan threatening," Spiderleg meowed.

"Those fox-hearts!" Berrynose snarled, his tail lashing. I glanced over at the cream-colored tom. He glowered past the border at WindClan territory. "They attack us when we did nothing wrong, and then they go and act as if nothing happened! I bet they're planning another ambush!"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be daft, Berrynose," I muttered as I shouldered past him, leading the patrol back to camp. We made it back and Firestar came to greet us, confused.

"You're back early," he remarked.

Lionblaze nodded. "No WindClan activity… for now," he added. Firestar nodded as well, heading back to speak with Brambleclaw.

I yawned. "Well, that was a waste of my precious sleep," I mewed, "if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back-"

"No you're not," Jayfeather meowed, walking past me. "You're going to come collect some herbs with me."

I frowned. "But I'm not a medicine cat."

Lionblaze smirked.

Jayfeather glowered, already heading for the exit of the camp. "Yeah, well pretend you are for now."

I sighed, having no choice but to follow the gray tabby outside of camp. I didn't like walking with Jayfeather… our conversations were either too minimal, or were nonexistent. _What do I say to him, anyway?_

"Have you decided when you're going to tell Hollyleaf and Lionblaze you're a twoleg?" he asked. I jumped at the mention of 'twoleg'. I looked at him. _He didn't forget?_

"I didn't forget," he echoed, as if reading my thoughts (which he probably did). I felt my ears heat up with embarrassment.

I sighed. "I don't know… you said whenever the timing's right… but I can't seem to find the right timing. And I was made a warrior recently, too! What if they think differently of me?"

Jayfeather stopped in his tracks, turning his blind blue gaze to look at me. Although it wasn't focused on me, I still felt as if he were staring into my soul, despite his blindness. "They're my littermates," he mewed, "if I believed you then they'll believe you."

I frowned. "I don't know… I just… don't want them to lose trust in me."

"Why would they lose trust in you?" Jayfeather asked, sitting down. I sat down as well, shrugging.

"I guess… if they found out I was a twoleg… then it would be weird. I mean… I thought you guys hated the twolegs…"

"We don't hate them," Jayfeather meowed, "we just think they're… strange."

I smirked. "Why? Because they don't do the same things as you do?"

Jayfeather smirked as well. "You talk as if you aren't one of them."

I sighed. "Sometimes I don't think I am… I mean…" my voice trailed off. I shook my head. "Nevermind, you wouldn't want to listen."

"Wrong again," Jayfeather mewed. I looked at him. "Please enlighten me."

"Well… I mean, I love being a twoleg sometimes… I get to talk to other people and get to know different kinds of 'twolegs'. But other times… I don't get along with them. And they judge me. I loved drawing and being this artist… it's this thing where twolegs create something with pen, paper… paints…"

Jayfeather frowned.

"Um… paints are liked smashed up berries and pen and paper have ink that you can draw… like… for instance if I wanted to draw a cat, I'd look at a cat and trace what I see… if that makes sense?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "Sort of… but continue."

"Well… I liked drawing. It was fun… I mean, just as I said, I could draw anything I wanted… a cat, a dog, sometimes even other twolegs."

"Why would you want to draw other twolegs?" he snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "It's a twoleg thing," I smirked. "Anyways, I loved it… but… when I would draw so much, some other twolegs I knew made fun of me for it… They said it was stupid… and that I was stupid. And that I was no good. It stung, a lot. But I didn't want to stop. I loved art too much. It was my passion. And I…" my voice trailed off. He didn't even understand what art was? Why was I bothering to tell him? Every time I talked about something I liked, anyways, some jackass would speak up saying, "nobody cares."

Jayfeather frowned, wondering why I had stopped.

"Um, sorry. Nevermind, it's nothing. I got carried away…" my voice trailed off again and I felt tears blur my vision.

"It's alright," Jayfeather meowed. "You can tell me that kind of stuff if you want… even though I don't know what all that twoleg stuff you're mentioning is… I like how you sound when you talk about it…"

I frowned and noticed Jayfeather getting sheepish. His ears flattened against his head as he stared at the ground. _Is he blushing?_

"Really?"

"Yeah… you sound like you really enjoy it. And you sound happy."

I smiled. I guess since he was blind, he can tell emotion from voice better than people who can see.

"We're not really out here to collect herbs, are we?" I asked.

Jayfeather shook his head. "No… I just wanted to know if you were ever going to Lionblaze and Hollyleaf." He got up, beginning to head back to camp. I followed him.

"When do you think I should tell them?"

Jayfeather glanced back at me, smirking. "Soon. I'm sure they'd love to hear all about those twoleg things you mention."

I beamed, although I knew he couldn't see it as I followed him back to camp. _He's even better to talk to then to read about… But I can't love him… He's a medicine cat. He'd be breaking the code. And I don't want any more forbidden love. It's too cliche and overrated in the books…_ But as Jayfeather started to tell me stories that I already knew about him and siblings, I couldn't help but smile and laugh along.

Once we made it back to camp, I finally decided to get some sleep. I wasn't needed for any hunting patrols or anything, so I decided to take my free time to rest. As I closed my eyes and drifted off, I reopened them again to find myself in the starry place known as StarClan.

"Echoflight," meowed a voice softly in my ears. I spun around to see Feathertail, the beautiful silver she-cat that had died to protect the tribes.

"Feathertail!" I exclaimed. Her blue eyes glimmered.

"You really are a smart she-cat," she purred. I felt my ears warm with embarrassment as I shrugged. Her expression changed as if she were "getting down to business". "Echoflight, there is a new cat coming to join the Clans."

My ears perked. _New cat? I don't remember a new cat ever joining the Clans…_

"Really?"

Feathertail nodded. "She is just like you, as well."

I frowned. "That means… she was a twoleg like me before?"

Feathertail nodded again. "Yes. But she does not know anything about our past, present, or future. We are practically nonexistent to her. Guide her, Echoflight. Your knowledge can either restore the Clans or make them perish."

I nodded to show I understood. Before the beautiful she-cat could disappear, I meowed, "Feathertail?"

"Yes?"

"Promise me one thing, will you?"

Feathertail nodded.

"Don't lose hope in yourselves, no matter how broken you feel. Always stay together, for being with the cats who you're loyal and always with, will help you succeed. Don't lose faith in us, or in yourselves," I meowed, giving out my own prophecy before everything faded.

"Firestar! We found an intruder!" the voice of Thornclaw yowled, waking me up. I blinked. _Maybe this intruder is the cat! _

I clambered out of the nest and walked out. Everyone was gathering in the clearing, studying the cat. I couldn't get a good look at her, so I huffed irritably, sitting down.

"Someone seems to have their whiskers tied up," Jayfeather commented, sitting down beside me. I glanced over at him. "Why do you want to see this newcomer so badly?"

I shrugged. "Is this really something new to you?"

Jayfeather smirked. "Guess not."

I looked back to the group. More cats had left so I was able to see the she-cat better. She was probably around six moons (10 years old in human years). She had soft, fluffy cream colored fur with bright blue eyes. Her tail was tabby striped.

I blinked. _So this is the cat I have to train, huh? StarClan give me strength._

"Hello," I meowed, approaching the she-cat. She gasped, turning to face me. "I'm Echoflight. Welcome to ThunderClan."

She snorted. "Is that what this dump is called?"

I flinched, surprised at her tone. To be this young (and 10 as a human) and be this hostile?

Clearly, the cats around me were surprised too.

"That cat needs to learn some manners!" Mousefur snapped.

"Calm down, Mousefur." Longtail tried to soothe the cranky elder. "She's probably just shaken up and frightened."

I turned my attention back to the she-cat. "What's your name?" I asked.

The she-cat's expression saddened. "I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know why I'm here, either. At first, I was at my home, but then I fell asleep… and I woke up here. And I was supposed to study for a test tomorrow! Ms. Langston is going to kill me!" she whimpered.

My gaze softened. _She's so young… and she's never probably even heard of the Warriors series. Poor thing._ I cleared my throat. "What were you called?" I asked quietly.

"My name was Nikki," she whimpered. "But I don't know what kind of name I have now… I mean, I am an animal," she added, but only half-heartedly.

I smiled. "How about we call you Misty?" I suggested, looking over the pattern in her fur. It seemed to look like mist. She looked up, her blue eyes brightening.

"Yes, I like that name! I've always wanted to name my pet cat that!"

I purred. "Everyone, this is Misty," I meowed, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Cats were still shooting hostile glances at Misty, but Firestar appeared, climbing down from Highledge. He made his way over, his ginger coat glimmering like flames in the sunlight. "Hello, Misty. My name is Firestar. I'm leader of ThunderClan."

Misty's eyes widened, almost as if looking guilty about what she had said about ThunderClan upon first arriving here. She dipped her head. "Hello," she stammered. I suspected she wanted to bow, but couldn't as a cat.

Firestar let out a _mrrow _of amusement. "No need to be formal," he mewed as Misty lifted her head. "We already get too much of that from Echoflight." I felt my ears warm as the cats around us broke into muffled laughter.

"C-can I join your Clan?" she asked, hesitantly.

Firstar frowned. "Lots of loners wanting to join ThunderClan, eh?" he joked, glancing over at me. I shrugged.

"I'll be her mentor," I offered. My amber eyes glimmered.

Firestar sighed. "We don't have many apprentices either…" he looked back to Misty. "You seem strong and agile," he meowed, examining her. He nodded. "Alright, welcome to ThunderClan, Mistypaw."

Misty frowned. "Mistypaw?" she echoed.

"Your apprentice name," I beamed. "And I'm going to be your mentor. I'll teach you everything you need to know."

Firestar jumped up onto Highledge. "Cats of ThunderClan," he called. "This loner Misty wishes to join, to learn the ways to be a true ThunderClan warrior."

Immediately cats were disagreeing. "A loner?"

"She'll just be a disgraceful nuisance!" Mousefur snapped.

"Does she even know how to hunt and fight?" questioned Spiderleg.

"Quiet!" Firestar hissed. Everyone silenced. Firestar hardly ever snapped.

Misty was beginning to shrink back as if trying to make herself smaller than what she already was. I frowned, then nudged her. "It'll be alright," I meowed as I led her up Highledge.

Firestar blinked. "Misty, come forward."

She hesitated, before looking at me. I nodded and she slowly padded forward.

"From this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Mistypaw. Your mentor will be Echoflight." I beamed, walking forward. "Echoflight, you are a fiercely loyal and dependable she-cat. You also know how to fight, yet also know when something is worth fighting for. You are also very clever and will do anything to protect your Clan. Teach Mistypaw these ways to become a true Clan cat."

After Firestar finished his speech, I stepped forward, touching noses with my new apprentice. For a couple of heartbeats, no one said a word. Until the cat you thought would have kept quiet during these started the chant. "Mistypaw! Mistypaw!" called Jayfeather.

"Mistypaw, Mistypaw!" joined in Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. Soon enough, the whole Clan was cheering. I saw Mistypaw's blue eyes light up with satisfaction at the sight of all the cats cheering for her.

I smiled. _Mistypaw, I will teach you the true ways of a loyal Clan warrior. I won't let you down. I promise._


	9. Secrets Revealed

**Chapter 9: Secrets Revealed**

**Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to review! I'd really appreciate it. :) It makes me so so happy to see a new review. I read them all even though I don't reply to them. :) xx**

It's been three days since I became Mistypaw's mentor, and she was harder to train than I'd expected. She's an outstanding fighter and I know she'll make an excellent warrior… she just has a little bit of fighting in her personality as well.

"What are we going to do today?" Mistypaw asked once the patrol left.

I shrugged. "What do you feel like doing?" I was fresh out of ideas; I'm usually like this, though.

"Hm, let's go visit Jayfeather!" she suggested.

I felt my ears grow hot at the mention of the blind medicine cat apprentice. "Why, are you sick?" I asked, trying to sound worried.

Mistypaw shook her head. "But don't you need to check your wound?" she asked. I frowned. "The three scratches on your face? Those would be ugly scars," she meowed. My eyes widened at her blatant tone as I let out a sigh.

"Thanks for reminding me," I murmured as I led the way to the medicine den.

Once we entered, we spotted Leafpool and Jayfeather sorting herbs. "Do you need help?" I offered sweetly. Jayfeather looked up, his ears twitching.

"Don't try to get out of getting poultice on your wound," he meowed.

I sighed. "It's been a long time," I mewed, "do you really think I still need poultice?"

Leafpool purred, "we can never be too sure, ever since you rolled into that fire."

I snorted. "Ashfur doesn't need it…" I mumbled.

"Ashfur wasn't the one with three cuts on his cheek before," Leafpool countered, beginning to crush up the poultice as Jayfeather continued to sort through the herbs.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't give me that," Leafpool scolded as she applied the stinging ointment. I flinched and she gave me another scolding look. I sighed as I allowed her to smear the poultice on my three cuts.

"Shouldn't they have healed by now?" I asked as she went to clean her paws.

"I already answered that," Leafpool meowed, disappearing farther into the medicine den.

I sighed, glancing back at Mistypaw. She was snickering. I gave her a stern look and she shut up, although I could tell she was struggling to keep her mouth shut.

"Echoflight, can I talk with you later?" Jayfeather asked.

I blinked. "Sure."

Mistypaw sniggered again. I sighed, going over and cuffing her on the ear. "Alright, let's go," I meowed, shoving her out of the medicine den before she could embarrass me any further.

"Sorry I interrupted your flirting," she meowed.

I frowned. "Flirting?"

"Oh duh," Mistypaw smirked. "Any cat can see you obviously _adore _Jayfeather!"

"Shut up!" I hissed. Mistypaw shut up instantly at my harsh tone. My gaze softened at seeing her confusion. "Mistypaw, you don't really understand the warrior code so I'll go over it again. Medicine cats are _forbidden _to fall in love, and when they do, something bad always happens. So stop, please."

"But just because they can't fall in love doesn't mean you can't fall in love with them," Mistypaw pointed out.

"Mistpaw, please, stop," I mewed.

Mistypaw frowned. "Fine," she mumbled. She glanced towards Thornclaw demonstrating a battle move he came up with to Spiderleg and Birchfall. "Can I go learn that battle move?" she asked.

I looked up, studying the move. It wasn't too complicated or dangerous. I nodded. _While she does that I'm going to get some sleep… I couldn't sleep at all last night… There was too much on my mind._

As we parted ways, I headed for the warriors den, finding my nest near the front as I laid down in it, closing my eyes. I felt as if I had only closed my eyes for a few moments before I was woken up again by a paw prodding my side.

"Hey, Echoflight, wake up!" I shook my head to the sound of Hollyleaf yelling at me. I yawned, stretching as I turned to face the black she-cat. Lionblaze was also with her, his amber eyes gleaming.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You haven't visited Whitewing's kits yet, have you?" she asked. My ears perked up at the sound of 'Whitewing's kits'. _That's Dovewing and Ivypool's mother! _I was immediately up on my paws. "Lead the way!"

Hollyleaf's eyes gleamed as she and Lionblaze led me to the nursery. We peeked in to see Whitewing resting as Ivykit and Dovekit were nuzzled against her belly. "Aw," I cooed, "they're so cute!"

Whitewing smiled tiredly as she licked the heads of her two daughters. "Thank you," she meowed as she gazed at her kits with warm green eyes.

_The Power of Four has begun, _I thought as I watched Dovekit open her eyes and let out a little whine. Ivykit blinked and nudged her noisy sister, annoyed that she had woken her up. _Welcome to ThunderClan, Dovewing and Ivypool._

"Is it time for that talk?" I asked as Jayfeather approached me. He smirked, glancing towards the left as Lionblaze and Hollyleaf appeared.

"Why in StarClan's name are we going on a walk when we could be eating?" Lionblaze groaned. I let out a _mrrow _of amusement.

"You could do without the extra mouse," I joked. Lionblaze glared but _mrrow_ed good-naturedly, nonetheless as we headed out of the camp.

"Exactly why did we choose to go on a walk?" Jayfeather grumbled. It had rained recently and there were puddles of water everywhere. He shook his paw as he accidentally stepped in one.

I kept quiet. Did Jayfeather want me to tell Lionblaze and Hollyleaf now? I frowned. How am I going to start telling them? Casually? "_Oh, by the way you guys, I'm a twoleg. And yeah." _

_They're going to think I'm insane…_ I wailed silently as we continue to walk farther from ThunderClan camp. We stopped before reaching the abandoned twoleg place.

"Echoflight?" Hollyleaf asked. I looked at her. She frowned. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah… but… there's something I have to tell you…"

Lionblaze nodded. "Go ahead."

I took a breath. "Um… well… you're not going to believe this but… I'm a twoleg."

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes. "You're joking, right?"

I met her gaze evenly.

"You're not joking…" her voice faltered. "But how? That's impossible!" her voice raised in dismay.

Lionblaze frowned. "How can a twoleg become a cat?"

"I don't know," I confessed, "but I did." I glanced at Jayfeather. _They're not buying it… They don't believe me…_

"Prove it," Jayfeather meowed.

I frowned. "Um…" _C'mon, Echoflight - he said prove it! Prove it._ "I know about the prophecy."

This made the three siblings eyes widen.

"Wh-what prophecy?" Lionblaze stuttered.

"'There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws'. But… um… I don't know if StarClan's told you this," I added to Jayfeather, "but there's actually… a Fourth."

"A Fourth?" Jayfeather echoed.

I nodded. "Righteo."

"Do you know about our powers?" questioned Lionblaze.

I nodded again. "You can't get hurt in battle, Jayfeather can walk in dreams and see visions of a cat's mind… and…" my voice trailed off. Hollyleaf didn't have a power. She wasn't one of the Four… And then she goes into the tunnels and meets Fallen Leaves…

"And what about me?" Hollyleaf asked, her voice edging.

"Um…" _Shit! Come on, think! _

"I don't have a power… don't I?" Hollyleaf asked again, her voice cracking.

"Hollyleaf…" I started. She shook her head, her eyes blurring.

"I always knew I didn't…" she murmured, standing up.

_No! No fucking way I'm not letting this happen. If Hollyleaf leaves still… I won't forgive myself. She's your friend, do something! _

"Hollyleaf, wait, don't do this," I pleaded.

Hollyleaf ignored me as she started running.

"Shit!" I cursed as I ran after her.

"'Shit'?" Lionblaze echoed. Jayfeather shook his head. "Twoleg talk," he answered as the two caught up with me.

Lionblaze glanced at me as we pelted through the forest after Hollyleaf. "Do you know where she's going?" he demanded.

"To the tunnels," I meowed.

Lionblaze's eyes widened. "The tunnels?"

"You know… the ones that you and Heathertail used to play in before you were found out," I smirked. Lionblaze's ears flattened against his head as he glared.

"I guess you do know everything about us…" he muttered as we continued to chase after the black she-cat.

_Why is she doing this? She only ran into the tunnels because she hated the other Clans looking at her differently; she did this because she couldn't stand being half-Clan… and I guess… not being apart of the Three either… But she never knew that! Why is this happening? _I willed my paws to carry me faster as Hollyleaf was a few foxlengths away from us. The tunnels were coming into view.

Before Hollyleaf could disappear among them, I pounced on her. We landed on the ground with a thud, tousling.

"Let me go!" she snarled, trying to scramble out of my grip.

"No! I won't let you! I won't let you disappear from the Clans forever, Hollyleaf!" I exclaimed.

Hollyleaf stopped squirming. I let her out of my grip as she turned to face me. "Forever?" she whispered.

I closed my eyes. "You run into those tunnels and they collapse on you… It's… unknown if you make it or not."

Hollyleaf's eyes widen in terror. "How do you know all this…?" she whispered.

I stared at my paws. "The same reason why Ashfur and I didn't die in that fire…" This wasn't going well at all. _Why the hell not? God, why can't this be easier…_

Jayfeather brushed up against me, walking to his sister. "Hollyleaf," he mewed. "Don't do this. You may not be apart of the Four, but you are still our sister."

Hollyleaf sniffed. "But-"

"Hollyleaf," Lionblaze interrupted. He sat down beside her, his amber eyes warm. "I don't know what we would do without you. You're what holds us together…"

I smiled. "You know better than this, Hollyleaf," I meowed.

Hollyleaf sighed, meeting my gaze. "Why did you attack Ashfur that night?" she asked.

I froze. _StarClan, why aren't you making this easier for me? _"I…" my voice trailed off. _What do I tell them? Does StarClan _want _this to happen? I know Leafpool and Crowfeather broke two codes… but they can't! I can't let Hollyleaf disappear… I need to stop all of this. _

"Echoflight?" Lionblaze mewed softly. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

I dipped my head to them. "I'm sorry… but you have to trust me when I say… I can't tell you why I did that. I had to."

Lionblaze, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather exchanged looks, but didn't say anything. I felt my heart drop. _They're losing trust in me… what if they don't want to be my friend anymore?_

Jayfeather nudged me. "Come on," he meowed, "let's head back to camp."

I sighed as we awkwardly trudged back to the hollow. _That could have gone better than it did…_ I thought as we walked back.

Before we reached camp, Hollyleaf stopped. I looked over my shoulder at her. She was staring at her paws, quiet.

"Hollyleaf?" I asked.

She looked up, her green eyes watery. "I believe you, Echoflight," she meowed. "And I believe that you attacked Ashfur that night for a reason."

I gave a small smile. Lionblaze nodded, agreeing with his sister. "Yeah, I believe you too," he meowed.

Jayfeather blinked, turning to face me, his beautiful blue eyes gleamed, almost making me forget he was blind. "I've always believed you," he murmured.

I let out a purr, happiness overflowing me. _They don't hate me… Thank StarClan! _"Thank you," I meowed. _Thank you..._


	10. There Will be Five

**Chapter 10: There Will be Five**

I shivered against the cold-leafbare wind. All of the Clans had gathered for the Gathering, and although I was excited, I felt no warmth in my body whatsoever. RiverClan had barely made their report, along with ShadowClan, although I hadn't payed attention to either of them. My mind was wandering towards Mistypaw. _I wonder why StarClan led her here? _My gaze landed on the excited she-cat. She had been talking to a WindClan tom and RiverClan she-cat. It was her first ever Gathering. _She doesn't know anything about the Clans, so why is she here?_

"ThunderClan has been coping well just as the other Clans," Firestar meowed. "We also have a new apprentice, Mistypaw."

"Mistypaw, Mistypaw!" chanted the cats from the Clans. I saw Mistypaw puff out her chest in glee as the apprentices around her cheered the loudest.

"WindClan is also doing well," Onestar meowed, "we did have a dog problem, but Breezepelt and a few other warriors were able to fix that."

_Dog problem? _I didn't remember that from the books, but then again, they do live on highlands. Twolegs usually take their dogs for walks near there. I glanced over at Breezepelt, who looked confident at Onestar mentioning his name. He caught me staring at him and his gaze changed to something unreadable, his amber eyes not leaving mine. I awkwardly turned away. _If he hurt the dogs I swear to StarClan…_

"Echoflight?" mewed Honeyfern. I glanced at the pretty golden tabby. Her blue eyes were bright. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm fine," I meowed, staring at the ground. _Why was he looking at me like that? _

As the Gathering came to a close, I found Mistypaw telling a story to the apprentices surrounding her.

"But then-" she was cut off once she spotted me. Her blue eyes brightened. "Oh, hey Echoflight!"

The other apprentices looked up at me, their eyes gleaming. "Hi!"

I smiled, "hello," I meowed. I gave Mistypaw a look. "We have to go now, Mistypaw."

She let out a groan. "I don't want to," she sighed. I rolled my eyes, nudging my stubborn apprentice away from her friends. She called goodbye to them as we followed ThunderClan back to our camp.

"So who were they?" I asked her as we passed WindClan border.

Mistypaw shrugged. "Just some really cool RiverClan and WindClan apprentices," she mewed. I smiled.

"It's alright for you to have friends in other Clans… but you shouldn't get too close."

Mistypaw frowned, looking up at me. "Why not? They were cool."

I sighed. "I don't care if they're "cool", Mistypaw," I meowed. "It's… dangerous…"

Mistypaw groaned. "You never let me do anything… it's either "Mistypaw, remember the code", "Mistypaw, don't think that ShadowClan tom was hot", "Mistypaw, forbidden love is forbidden for a reason"."

My eyes widened at her tone. Although I had told her all that stuff, she had no right to backtalk me. I was her mentor! I cleared my throat, "Mistypaw-"

"No, I'm done listening to your crap!" she snapped, running ahead of me. I sighed, staring at my paws.

"Echoflight?" Honeyfern asked again. I jumped, turning around to face the light brown tabby. Her blue eyes were wide as she watched me carefully. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been acting funny since the Gathering."  
I sighed. "That obvious?"

Honeyfern shrugged. "I only noticed because I'm your friend," she mewed, her blue eyes glimmering. "And you can tell me what's bothering you."

"It's Mistypaw," I meowed, watching as my apprentice attempted to speak with Thornclaw and Spiderleg. Surprisingly, they were nice to the apprentice.

"What about her?"

"She… She just won't listen to what I tell her. She's just so stubborn and has such a strong will…"

Honeyfern smiled. "It's fine, I'm sure she'll stop eventually. After all, you're probably the best mentor there ever could be."

I glanced back at her. "You really think that?"

Honeyfern nodded. "Of course!"

I sighed. "Well, I guess that makes me feel a little bit better."

"It better!" Honeyfern exclaimed, making us both _mrrow _with laughter. We finally reached camp, and it was late. I watched as Mistypaw made her way into the apprentice den - probably to gossip to the other apprentices.

"How was the Gathering?" Lionblaze asked. He was finishing the last bit of his fresh-kill.

I shrugged. "I didn't hear most of it," I admitted. "Although WindClan did chase of some pestering dogs."

Lionblaze let out a _mrrow _of laughter. "What's this? The great and mighty Echoflight ignored a Gathering? Jayfeather!" The gray tabby tom had barely just walked by. I felt my ears redden. _Shut up already, Lionblaze._

"What?" he meowed, walking towards us.

"Echoflight here ignored most of the Gathering!" Lionblaze announced. "Surprising, eh? Since she is so obsessed with the warrior code like Hollyleaf."

"What?" Hollyleaf's mew sounded from behind us.

"Fox-dung…"

As I headed to my den to sleep, I woke up again to a StarClan cat whispering in my ears;

"Open your eyes, Echoflight."  
I blinked, obeying what they had said. My eyes widened when I was facing the great leader Bluestar. "B-Bluestar!" I stammered. "What are you doing here?"

The gray she-cat's blue eyes glimmered. "What do normal StarClan cats do when they visit you?" she asked.

"Usually give prophecies?"

Bluestar smirked. _Oh, duh…_

"_The time of fire has ended. Now, darkness rises, but only the Five can bring the light that the darkness threatens to take. Only the Five will be able to protect the Clans from utter darkness,"_ meowed the starry she-cat.

I frowned. _The Five? _"Isn't it the Four, Bluestar?" I asked. But it was no use. The StarClan warrior was beginning to fade away. "Wait, Bluestar!" I called after her, only to be greeted by darkness as well.

The next day I was confident in actually getting Mistypaw to listen to me. _She's never going to be a respected ThunderClan warrior if she keeps acting like this, _I thought as spotted her. "Mistypaw!" I called to her. The she-cat looked up from her fresh-kill, frowning.

"What?" she asked.

"Do you want to do some battle training?" I asked her. Her eyes glimmered.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. I smiled. "Great, finish your fresh-kill and then meet me by the camp entrance."

Mistypaw nodded as she continued to eat, being jumped on by Dovekit and Ivykit. "Not now!" she exclaimed. "I'm eating!" I smiled. Although Dovekit and Ivykit were only four moons old now, they couldn't wait to become apprentices.

As I began to make my way to the fresh-kill pile to get my food, I stopped dead in my tracks when a voice hissed, "_The Five must win or else the Clans will be engulfed by darkness." _

I jerked back, alarmed, my spine tingling. _What the hell? _

I backed away from the fresh-kill pile, instantly losing my appetite. _I need to tell Jayfeather about this… He is one of the Four after all…_

Bounding off to the medicine den, I stuck my head in. No one was in sight. "Jayfeather?" I called, walking in. The scent of herbs was overwhelming, but I could pick out lavender as the strongest.

"What?" Jayfeather grumbled, appearing. He must've been farther back sorting through herbs.

"StarClan visited me in a dream," I meowed. Jayfeather blinked, finally looking interested.

"Really? And what did they say?"

"It was Bluestar," I explained, "and she gave me a prophecy saying "_The time of fire has ended. Now rises the darkness but only the Five can bring the light the darkness threatens to take. Only the Five will be able to protect the Clans from utter darkness". _But… I don't know what she means by that. Five? There was only Four mentioned…"

Jayfeather frowned, thinking through the prophecy.

"Do you have any idea what this could mean?" I asked.

Jayfeather shook his head. "No… but I do know that if we don't find 'the Five', then everything will be lost… and everything the Clans worked for will die with them."


	11. Don't play around with snakes

**Chapter 11: Don't play around with snakes**

**Don't forget to review! Thanks again for reading, I really appreciate it! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! If you've already read it on my Wattpad or Quizilla account, you'll notice I changed some things. Well... before when I wrote this I COMPLETELY forgot to put in Honeyfern's death. So I decided I should do that. And yeah. Heartsign and smileyface.**

"Echoflight? Echoflight! That's the fourth time I've called your name!"

I blinked, tearing away from my thoughts. Standing in front of me was Mistypaw with an annoyed expression on her face. I sat up. "Sorry," I meowed.

Mistypaw shook her head. "You told me you would take me battle training!" she whined, skipping around me. I sighed. _Battle training seems to be all she wants to learn…_

"Alright," I meowed, shaking my pelt as I led her out of the hollow and to the clearing. I could barely pay attention to where I was putting my paws, though, as Mistypaw skipped along enjoying the cool air. From the cool winds I could tell it was going to snow soon. _I need to teach her how to hunt more… she hardly seems to enjoy it. She's never going to pass her apprentice exam to become a warrior if all she knows is fighting. Firestar trusted me too. I can't let him down, or the rest of the Clan for that matter. _

My mind traveled back to the new prophecy Bluestar had given me and my talk with Jayfeather attempting to figure out more about it. _Four cats at first now FIVE. You have got to be kidding me! This didn't happen in the books!_ I nearly wanted to wail out loud.

"Echoflight, are you okay?" Mistypaw asked. I glanced at my apprentice. She was frowning, her blue eyes narrowed as she waited impatiently for me to hurry up our lesson.

"I-I'm fine," I stammered as we neared the clearing. Mistypaw sat down, curling her tabby-striped tail neatly over her paws as she watched me, tilting her head.

"Well?" she meowed. "Are we going to learn something more helpful for me in battle or are you going to explain to me how 'learning grotesque moves is a very very bad thing for an upcoming warrior to learn'."

I narrowed my eyes. "Mistypaw, we don't fight for the fun of it. Before I can teach you some more experienced moves, I need to know that you're capable of understanding that you just can't lash out at any cat that drives you insane. You need to know that we fight for a reason; and that reason is for the better good than just fighting because a cat stole your gummy worms."

Mistypaw narrowed her own eyes. "Cats don't eat gummy worms," she countered. "Just because I was a twoleg like you were doesn't mean we're the same person… or cat."

My ear twitched. She was beginning to get on my nerves. "I'm not telling you this because we were both twolegs," I meowed, "I'm telling you this because I'm your mentor and I'm here to train you. Now listen to whatever I have to tell you or you might get your warrior name _after _Toadpaw and Rosepaw do."

Mistypaw's eyes widened in horror. "But they're two moons younger than me!" she wailed.

"Then you better pay attention, shouldn't you?"

My apprentice's blue eyes narrowed at me as she muttered something incoherent. _That bitch…_ I thought as I waited for Mistypaw to cool off. "We're going to work on the 'play dead' move," I meowed.

Mistypaw's ears pricked at hearing the word 'move' and 'dead'. Her blue eyes brightened. "What do I have to do?" she demanded, standing up.

"What do you think? 'Play dead'?" I smirked. Mistypaw's gaze fell as she realized it was just an 'apprentice' move. "This will come at an advantage for you, considering your small size." Mistypaw nodded as she crouched low, focusing on me.

I ran at her, my claws sheathed as I cuffed her around the ear lightly. She swiveled, attempting to throw me off balance as she rammed into me. I noticed her move slowly out of the corner of my eye as I turned on her, pinning her to the ground. She struggled before laying limp (in a normal battle it would make the opponent feel as if they had won). I relaxed my grip as she reared upwards suddenly, throwing me off of her. I got up. "Good job," I meowed. "Let's try the Leap-and-Hold."

"Oh, I know this one!" Mistypaw exclaimed suddenly. "It's where I jump up on your and thrash about until I jump off of you."

Sort of. "Well, it's main purpose is sort of like a shield. You hang onto your opponent's back so they can't harm you, but you can harm them. Not saying that you should," I added, just to be safe.

Mistypaw crouched down, showing that she was ready to begin. I crouched down as well as she ran at me. I dodged, but she veered the other way, jumping onto my back, claws sheathed. In a real fight, though, I would hope she'd have her claws unsheathed so she can get a better grip, or else she'd just slip off.

I fell to the ground, trying to roll, but Mistypaw was swifter than I and was able to escape from me squashing her.

"Good job," I mewed. Mistypaw purred.

"Let's head back to camp," I said as we headed back for the hollow. Mistypaw seemed happy that we had gone over at least one advanced move, but I couldn't help but feel worried at the thought of her extreme love for learning battle techniques. _It's a good thing she's willing to learn… if she'd be willing to listen to other stuff I have to say without mentioning 'battle training'._

I spotted Jayfeather speaking with Lionblaze before he swiftly headed back to the medicine den. _I need to tell him about Dovewing's prophecy… It'll help things move along quicker… But I don't know what I'll do when the Dark Forest starts to attack.._

"Jayfeather!" I called, walking into the medicine den. Leafpool was nowhere to be seen. Jayfeather turned around, his blue eyes flashing.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping towards me.

I looked at my paws. "I need to tell you something," I meowed.

Jayfeather nodded, sitting down. "Alright," he mewed.

I shook my head. I couldn't chance Leafpool walking in and then listening in on our conversation; then I would have other stuff to explain (such as how I'm a twoleg and know all this stuff). "Not here," I meowed.

Jayfeather stared at me and I assumed he understood what I meant as he got up, padding out of the den. "I know a place."

I followed him. No one seemed to notice us exit the hollow. I continued to follow Jayfeather, not knowing of how I'll start the conversation. "_Hey, Jay… Uhm… we have a problem. Dovewing - well, Dovekit now - is going to receive a prophecy; "After the sharp-eyed Jay and the roaring Lion, peace will come, on Dove's gentle wing." So… yeah. Be prepared for that. Oh yeah, she's also the fourth cat, but I have no clue who the fifth one is so yeah." _

He's going to think I'm on drugs or something.

"Alright," Jayfeather meowed, sitting by a small river. I frowned, looking around. "I don't know this place," I meowed.

"I go here sometimes…" he murmured. He then turned his gaze onto me. "What was it you needed to tell me in private?"

"Oh… There's going to be another prophecy."

Jayfeather's eyes narrowed. "How do you know this? Did Bluestar or another cat give you one?"

I shook my head. "No, no… it's Dovekit's. Well, when she's an apprentice she receives it. The prophecy goes "_After the sharp eyed Jay and the roaring Lion, peace will come on Dove's gentle wing." _It's basically Yellowfang telling her that she's one of the Three, but she doesn't know that."

Jayfeather frowned. "I thought you said there were Four."

"You receive that prophecy a little later," I meowed.

Jayfeather nodded, taking all of this into consideration. "And you're telling me this because…?"

I shrugged. "I just thought it'd be easier for you… I mean, Dovekit has no clue what it means and you don't know who the Third cat is yet, so I just thought I'd tell you that."

"And you don't know who the other two are?"

I shook my head. "Originally before I came here… there were only Four. And even then I didn't know who the Fourth cat was." _Cause the freaking book hadn't come out yet! _

"What's Dovekit's power?" Jayfeather asked.

"The ability to hear and see things from far away… There's going to be a drought soon after she's made an apprentice… and the Clans will have to send two cats from each Clan to travel and find out what it is."

"Do you know what's going to cause it?"

"Beavers."

Jayfeather frowned.

"They make a dam," I continued to explain, "a bunch of sticks blocking rushing water. It's their home… and the patrol is going to fight the beavers… and one of the cats dies fighting. It could go better…" My voice trailed off. _God damn beavers._

He sighed, standing up as he led the way back to camp. I followed behind him. _God dang it… why can't you just start a conversation with him? So what if you've loved him since the first series he appeared in? He's still… a cat. A normal, blind cat with the powers to read thoughts and travel in dreams. No biggie._

As we made it back to camp, cats were sunning on some of the rocks nearby. Even though it was freezing, the sun was out and the air wasn't as cold as before. It must've been nice to lay there…

My eyes widened in shock at seeing Honeyfern and Berrynose. _No no no no no no no no no!_ I shouldered past Jayfeather, who called after me shocked, but my mind was set on one thing; I was not going to let Honeyfern die. Not only was she one of my favorite characters, I had befriended the sweet, pretty she-cat. _Not today, god damn snake! _I thought as I reached the rocks. Honeyfern looked up, smiling. "Oh, hello Echoflight!" Berrynose glanced at me, nodding awkwardly.

"Hullo," I meowed rushed as I scooted past them. I spotted Millie's kits; Bumblekit, Briarkit and Blossomkit. _Fuck! _I thought as I watched Bumblekit dance towards one of the cracks. I glanced at Honeyfern who noticed as well as a dark shadow appeared near the small tom.

"No!" we both yelled in unison as we ran towards the kit. Honeyfern was closer as she knocked poor Bumblekit out of the way. He let out a startled cry, alerting Millie immediately as she made her way over to the poor kit. My eyes widened as I saw the snake rear backwards, his sharp, venomous teeth plain as day. "Honeyfern, look out!" I shrieked, barreling into the she-cat. She let out a startled squeak as I shoved her away. I shut my eyes tight as pain immediately coursed through my body. I fell to the ground, convulsing as the venom raced through my blood vessels. I let out a startled cry. The snake unlatched from me, letting out an angered hiss before slithering back into its home.

Immediately the Clan cats were surrounding me. I heard Honeyfern sobbing near me, but my vision was blurred. I attempted to stand up but my legs flailed underneath me and I collapsed. I felt like I was on fire. The pain was excruciating. I bit my tongue, willing myself not to cry out loud. _It doesn't hurt that bad, _I tried to tell myself, _you'll be okay.-GOD DAMNIT._

I yowled again in pain. It felt like someone was continuously setting my blood on fire. I writhed on the ground. _Where the hell is Leafpool? _Immediately the brown tabby was by my side.

"Stay still, Echoflight," I heard her say. I shook my head. My hearing was getting as bad as my vision. "Echoflight, I said _stay still!" _she hissed again. Was I swaying? I couldn't tell. The venom was infecting me more and more. I blinked continuously but it still wouldn't clear up; it was on and off, blurring and clearing up. I staggered, by body numbing up.

"Echoflight," I heard Jayfeather say. He sounded far away. I shook my head. It felt like my ears were full of water. The pain was on and off. I continued to try to stand up, but it wouldn't work. Someone nudged the side of my face, but I didn't stop. _I need to help them… I need to go with them during the drought, I need to help them with the beavers. I can't let any other cats die! _

I blinked again. There were thousands of blurs surrounding me - was it the entire Clan here to see me die the death Honeyfern was supposed to suffer? I yowled again in pain as the venom spread farther down from my shoulder. _StarClan, make it STOP. _

"Make it stop!" I screamed, writhing more. I couldn't stand it. _Make the pain go away, make it go away!_

"Echoflight, you need to stop moving!" I heard Leafpool shout. _I'm trying! _I shut my eyes tight. My whole body is on fire. I gave up on standing. I attempted to lay limply on the ground, but to no avail. I continuously kept twitching. I felt Leafpool back away from me.

"Please, make it stop!" I shouted. _No, Leafpool! Don't be spineless you little bitch!_

"I…" Leafpool began to stammer. "I-I don't know what to do…"

Gasps erupted from the Clan. I heard Honeyfern's sobs increase, but were muffled. She's probably being consoled by Berrynose. I writhed more. I blinked some more, my vision still slightly blurry.

"What?" Jayfeather snapped. I felt his paw on my shoulder. "What do you mean? Leafpool!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Leafpool whispered. "The venom's spread too much…"

"Because all you did was stand there!" Jayfeather snarled. "I can't believe you! You just stood by her side not even trying and you just watched her writhe in pain! You're just watching her die, and you didn't even do anything to stop it!"

_No, stop - please! _I shut my eyes again, the pain unbearable. _I'm going to die… That's it… I'm going to die. I'm never going to be able to help the Clans ever again… I won't even be able to see Dovekit and Ivykit grow up… I won't be able to help in the Dark Forest battle against StarClan… I won't even be able to get to know everyone better… Mistypaw is going to become reckless… and it's all my fault. _

When I opened my eyes again I was no longer in the hollow. I stood up. The pain was gone completely. I looked at my shoulder. The two snake bites were still there. I sighed. _This is it… hello, heaven, it's nice to see you. Even though I'm a freaking cat still._

"Hello, Echoflight," a mew sounded from behind me. I spun around. _Yellowfang!_

The old ThunderClan medicine cat smirked. "What? You haven't seen such an old cat before?" she joked. I shook my head. "N-no… am I dead?"

Yellowfang stared at me for a moment before letting out croaky _mrrows _of laughter. "Dead? _Mrrow ow ow._ Why would you be dead?"

My eyes widened in shock. "I just _died _from a snake bite! I died the death Honeyfern was supposed to suffer!"

Yellowfang's yellow eyes remained calm. I frowned. "You were brought to these Clans for a reason," mewed Yellowfang, finally. "What do you think that reason is?"

"I… I don't know…"

Yellowfang sighed. "Why do you think you have such a strong will to save all the Clans from the tragedies they suffered? Preventing Squirrelflight from telling Ashfur that Lionblaze, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf aren't her kits? Telling Jayfeather all of the prophecies before we have a chance to? Pushing Honeyfern out of the way so you'll be bitten instead of her? You could have easily let these things happen no matter what. But you didn't." Yellowfang smirked. "I know young warriors, Echoflight; they want to live life to the fullest. If it were honestly up to you, would you have died for these Clans?"

I met her gaze evenly. "Yes."

Yellowfang's smirk remained. "I like your spirit," she rasped, "it's much more lively than the other fleabags down there."

I smiled. A thought suddenly crossed my mind. "So I'm not dead?"

Yellowfang shook her head. "Why do you think you're here, Echoflight? A simple twoleg who got the chance to become a cat? Why do you think that happened?"

I frowned. I honestly didn't know why I was turned into a cat. I'm just a huge fan of the book series… but of course, these cats didn't need to know that. I was living this life almost as if it were a reality. The pain I had suffered back then was just as real as when I had pushed Ashfur and myself into the fire.

"You're here because we want you to prevent these tragedies," Yellowfang answered for me. My eyes widened. "Yes, you heard me right," she meowed, sitting down. "StarClan isn't always cruel and evil, killing cats as we please."

"Then… how am I not dead yet?"

Yellowfang's eyes clouded. "I can't tell you… yet," she added watching my face fall. "But don't worry. Just keep doing what you're doing."

I frowned again. "Am… am I going to feel that pain of death every time I die?"

Yellowfang nodded. "Pretty much." I groaned. "What?" she smirked. "Scared of dying?"

I didn't answer. _Um, duh. Who the hell do you think I am?Cassius from Julius Caesar? _

Not like cats would _know _what Shakespeare's plays are, but still.

"Wh-what am I going to tell them?" I stammered before she could disappear and send me back to ThunderClan hollow. Yellowfang frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I _mean, _isn't it a little strange that they saw me die, but I suddenly am alive again?"

Yellowfang smiled. "They're going to think you're sent from StarClan. Which, technically, you are," she added before disappearing. I groaned, shutting my eyes. _Freaking StarClan warriors… so rude sometimes._

When I opened my eyes again I was in the medicine den. I shook my head, groggy. My shoulder stung like hell, but there was no cat to be seen. It was dark outside. _Why haven't they buried me yet?_

I tried to stand up. My legs were numb, but I was finally able to make myself explore the medicine den. _Where's Jayfeather and Leafpool?_

Creeping out of the den, I looked up at the sky. It was a full moon. One of the stars near the moon sparkled brighter than the other, almost as if it were new. _Is that… one of my lives? Is this like a 'cat with nine lives' thing? _I don't think I could handle that sort of pressure.

_Jayfeather and Leafpool must be at the Moonpool,_ I concluded. I glanced around the camp. If I were still a human, it'd probably be around 2 in the morning. _Why didn't they bury me yet? That's odd… Maybe Leafpool and Jayfeather were going to once they returned from the Moonpool…_ I laughed quietly to myself. _That's going to freak them out… a 'zombie' cat._

Padding back to the medicine den, I sat down in my nest. What was I going to tell them? How was I going to explain it to Jayfeather and Leafpool before they would scream in shock and alert the Clan? Then I'd have _too _many questions to answer.

"_They'll think you're sent from StarClan." _I scoffed. "Sure they will, Yellowfang… or they'll think it's some freaky shit and not want to deal with it."

I waited for a few more moments, yawning. I didn't understand why I was chosen out of all the warriors fans to explore this amazing world instead of doing my math homework. _I'd rather do this than go to school, though, _I admitted silently as I layed down, staring at my paws. I took a deep breath. The smell of herbs and remedies filled my nostrils. I exhaled, coughing at the strong smells. I immediately shut up. It sounded as if my cough echoed throughout the hollow. _So stupid, _I scolded myself, _you're going to wake the whole damn Clan if you keep hacking… _I blinked, staring blankly ahead of me. _And now you're talking to yourself… how insane are you getting?_

As I waited longer for the Moonpool's meeting to come to a close, I yawned. Was I really going to stay up all night for Leafpool and Jayfeather to come back? My eyes threatened to close. _Probably not…_ I murmured as I started to close my eyes, letting out another yawn.

_Dying really does tire you out._


	12. The black fur and amber eyes

**Chapter 12: The black fur and amber eyes**

**I may or may not have messed up the timeline... I keep forgetting if the Greencough spout happened before or after Honeyfern's death. I'm pretty sure it's before, but it's kind of too late to change that now... hehe. Oops. Sorry about that, but hopefully it won't be too annoying. I haven't really looked at the books since I don't own some of them. But it can work out once the later chapters come into play... So yeah. Hope you guys are enjoying this, and if you like it, feel free to leave a review! Smileyface.**

I was right when I had the idea that Leafpool and Jayfeather would scream when they saw I was alive and breathing. Well, Leafpool was the only one who screamed. Jayfeather seemed to look as if he expected I'd be alive - either Yellowfang told him at the Moonpool, or he can't really _see _what's going on.

"Wh-what?" Leafpool was stammering. "But you were dead! You weren't breathing at all!" Her amber eyes remained wide. Firestar stuck his head in the den, frowning. His green eyes looked tired, but immediately widened once he saw me. "Echoflight!"

I smiled sheepishly. "Um… hi."

Graystripe, too, thrusted his head through the den's entrance. His amber eyes brightened upon seeing me. "Echoflight! You're alive! Well, I guess that's worth waking up for."

My ears flattened against my head. _Please let them not be too weirded out… Please…_

As I followed Leafpool, Jayfeather, Firestar and Graystripe out of the medicine den, immediately all other cats were gathering around, yawning, but immediately the sleep disappeared from their eyes upon seeing me. "Echoflight!" Dustpelt and Thornclaw called out in unison. Honeyfern shouldered past the crowds of cats and rubbed her cheek against mine affectionately.

"Oh, thank StarClan! You're alive! They said you were dead… I thought you were dead and it was all my fault but you're alive!" she squealed. I purred, pulling away. Her blue eyes were shining.

"Yeah… I'm glad I'm alive too," I meowed. "Wouldn't be much use here if I were dead," I attempted joke.

Graystripe frowned. "Don't go there," he mewed. I shrugged as Hollyleaf and Lionblaze approached me. Hollyleaf's green eyes shone with relief, but then were lighted with confusion, along with Lionblaze.

"_How_ are you alive?" she asked.

I stared at my paws. _When are they going to think I'm StarClan sent, Yellowfang? _I asked the StarClan cat, looking up at the sky. I sighed, finally meeting their gazes. Everyone was quiet and was looking at me - all wondering the same question.

"I do-"

"It doesn't matter how she's alive," Jayfeather growled, interrupting. Everyone swung their attentions to the gray tabby medicine cat apprentice. His blind blue eyes flashed. "We should just be grateful she is alive."

The Clan cats exchanged glances and I held my breath, willing they would listen to the medicine cat. They all agreed, finally rejoicing in my coming back. I let out my sigh of relief.

"Well, it's almost sunrise," Brambleclaw remarked, looking up at the sky. "Who's willing to go on a dawn patrol?"

"I will," volunteered Thornclaw.

Dustpelt and Sandstorm nodded in agreement. Brambleclaw scanned the group. "Birchfall would you like to come as well?"

Birchfall nodded. "Sure," he meowed.

"Can I come?" I asked. They all turned their attention to me. Brambleclaw nodded.

"Of course," he meowed, beginning to head out of the hollow. I followed after him, my thoughts running aground.

_I hope they're not creeped out by this… _I thought. _It's pretty hard for me to handle as well. _

"Where are we headed?" asked Dustpelt.

"I was thinking maybe we could check both borders with WindClan and ShadowClan. You can never be too sure," he mewed.

Dustpelt nodded as we continued to head for ShadowClan territory. I sighed. _Hopefully they'll forget about it… maybe._

"How's training Mistypaw?" Thornclaw asked. I jumped at his sudden starter at a conversation. I glanced at the golden tabby. His eyes glimmered.

"Oh, she's… interesting," I mewed.

"How so?" Thornclaw's whiskers twitched.

"Well, she absolutely adores battle training. Her hunting is alright… she's just anxious to become a warrior."

"Aren't all apprentices?" Thornclaw asked. I shrugged. He had been experienced in apprentice training, though, being the same age as Brightheart (and being her littermate).

"You don't seem to be happy with your first apprentice," he commented. I shook my head. "No… I am, it's just…"

"Just?"

I sighed. "She never listens to me. Everytime I try to tell her something that will try to be helpful she just ignores it and begs me when I'll give her her warrior assessment."

Thornclaw smirked. "Sounds like someone I know."

I frowned. "Huh?"

Thornclaw shrugged. "Oh, just a similar apprentice who was so upset that she was the last apprentice in the apprentice den and couldn't stand the other warriors and would avoid them with every chance she got."

I frowned. "Thanks."

He let out a _mrrow _of amusement. "I promise you that Mistypaw will start listening. She's just growing and is getting impatient. She'll realize she'll get nowhere complaining if she _really _wants to be a warrior."

I nodded. _Thornclaw's nicer than how they make him out to be. Why doesn't he have a mate? He seems to be the loner of the series… is he the only one without a mate? The Erins tried to pair him with Whitewing one time… but then fans complained that he was her uncle… and that sort of died out. _

As we neared the abandoned twoleg place, my gaze rested on the catmint. _Shit! _ I bounded towards it immediately. All of the catmint was trampeled on and crushed. There were no good stems whatsoever. "No, no, no, no, no!" I whispered, sniffing around for at least a few healthy stocks. I found only a few, but not enough to stamp out the Greencough.

_What are we going to do? I read online it was revealed that Hollyleaf had given the extra catmint… but she never disappeared under the tunnels! _

"Echoflight, what's the matter?" Brambleclaw asked as the rest of the patrol approached me. His amber eyes widened at the sight. "All the catmint!" he exclaimed.

_I should have told Jayfeather to collect all of it… now that it's leaf-bare none of it's going to grow until new-leaf. _I stared at the ripped up catmint. Frost was already on the dirt ground. _What are we going to do? And the drought… _

I glanced back at the patrol. "This happened during the WindClan ambush… when there was fighting going on here…"  
"Was that their plan?" Dustpelt hissed. Everyone glanced back at the dusty brown tom. His tail lashed angrily. "To purposely destroy our catmint? Greencough happens more often around leaf-bare, if I'm correct!"

Brambleclaw sighed. "I'm no medicine cat, but I think you're right." He looked back at me. "When are you going to tell Jayfeather? Do you think that he and Leafpool have some in storage?"

I shrugged. "I think they have a little… but definitely not enough to supply us throughout all of leaf-bare. Especially if Greencough hits us," I added. _Which it will. We're so screwed._

"Let's collect what's left to use," Brambleclaw suggested. I nodded, gesturing to the small pile.

"That's all I could find that could help supply," I meowed. Brambleclaw sighed looking at the small pile. I felt sympathy for him. It must feel terrible knowing that Greencough could hit us sooner or later and he won't be able to do anything about it to help his Clan.

We headed back to camp as I returned with the little bit of catmint in my mouth. I made my way to the medicine den, setting it down. Jayfeather appeared. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"The catmint supply has been ruined," I meowed, pushing forward the last of the catmint. "This was all I could forge."

Jayfeather growled, setting the catmint with the others they had collected. He sighed, sniffing through it. "Hardly any…" he murmured. "And it's leaf-bare now."

I nodded. A thought came to mind. _Maybe… no… Onestar is trying to prove ThunderClan and WindClan aren't buddies… but… it couldn't hurt to try._

Jayfeather frowned and I felt my ears heat up with embarrassment. "Don't even think about it," he meowed. "We are _not _asking any other Clans for catmint."

"Jayfeather, you don't understand," I started.

Jayfeather shouldered past me. "We're not going to seem weak."

I sighed as the grumpy medicine cat apprentice disappeared. _He seems to be in a worse mood than usual… I wonder why._

I chased after him, the thought bugging me. "Jayfeather, wait," I called. He stopped, looking over his shoulder. "What?"

"What's the matter? You seem… upset."

Jayfeather snorted. "Oh, no, I'm doing great. Leafpool's resigned since she feels as if she's not _capable _enough to be the Clan's medicine cat after you died. And now you're back to life and I have to keep it a secret from everyone since Yellowfang told me too," he hissed. "And now all the catmint's gone? No, why wouldn't I be upset? I'm just doing great." He rolled his eyes. I glowered at his sarcastic tone.

"Fine, if you're going to be that way, I'll find some more catmint," I stated, heading for the hollow's entrance. Jayfeather stopped me.

"No, you're _not," _he meowed. "I know you're going to ask another Clan for it… but guess what? Who do we have to ask? You can't get to RiverClan and ShadowClan told us they don't owe us any favors. WindClan wouldn't be a very good idea, either, unless you want to be killed again."

I shouldered past him. "I'm not going to let the Greencough affect this Clan. I'll be back." I called over my shoulder as I bounded out of the camp.

_I'm sorry, Jayfeather, but I can't chance Firestar losing a life… and everyone else getting weakened? It won't happen._

I neared WindClan border, stopping. I sniffed the air. No borders have been here recently. _Maybe I'm just in time for a border patrol…_

I hid behind a bush, waiting for a cat to walk by. _Please just be one cat and not a bunch of them… please…_

At the sound of pawsteps I peered over the bush. _Breezepelt… you've got to be kidding me._ I watched as the black tom bent down to lick water from the lake dividing WindClan and ThunderClan borders. _What's he doing here? And by himself? I guess I have no other choice, though. I'm not going to let Firestar lose a life._

I stepped out of my hiding place, confronting the arrogant WindClan warrior. "Breezepelt," I meowed. He looked up from the lake, his amber eyes narrowed.

"What?" he snapped. "I'm not crossing ThunderClan border. I'm just having a drink."

I frowned. "That's not what I was going to ask."

Breezepelt sneered, "what, you want a favor? Sorry, but WindClan doesn't really give out favors just at a paw. Why should I help you?"

I sighed. _I'm never going to get anywhere with this arrogant fleabag. _"Fine, nevermind," I hissed. "Forget I asked." I turned around. _What am I going to do now? _

"Wait," Breezepelt called from behind me. I stopped, turning around.

"What?"

Breezepelt sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this…" he muttered. Looking up he added, "what's the favor?"

I glared. "Why? I thought that mighty old WindClan doesn't give favors just at the paw."

Breezepelt narrowed his eyes. "Do you want help or not?"

I frowned. _Can I trust him? _"Are you going to help me?"

Breezepelt smirked. "Depends on the favor."

"It's not a favor…" I meowed, walking back to him. I sat at the other edge of the pool. "It's more or less help."

Breezepelt nodded. "Go on."

"Well… ever since your lovely Clan ambushed us, our catmint supply is gone. Completely. And Greencough has started to hit our Clan and we have nothing to help our Clanmates. I know that your Clan leader didn't intend for any cats to die. He just wanted to prove a point."

Breezepelt's amber eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?" he hissed challengingly.

"You wouldn't want to watch cats die for nothing, would you?" I questioned.

Breezepelt smirked, his amber eyes flashing. "Maybe I do."

_What the fuck. _"Um, alright then. Forget I said anything." I stood up, beginning to walk away again.

"Wait," Breezepelt called again. I stopped, looking over my shoulder. Breezepelt inhaled then exhaled slowly. "I'll take you to our camp. If you honestly believe Onestar didn't mean to do this, by all means, I'm certain that Kestrelflight will give you all the catmint you need." His eyes narrowed. "But your Clan isn't the only Clan that will be affected by Greencough."

I met his glare evenly. "Let me remind you who was the Clan that so carelessly ruined our catmint supply?"

Breezepelt snorted, turning around. I hesitated. Was I supposed to follow him? I didn't want to cross the border…

He looked back at me. "Are you coming?" he asked.

I nodded hesitantly as I jumped over the river following him into the heart of WindClan. I looked around. It was all hillside and open space. I didn't like it at all. I shuddered as cool wind ruffled through my fur.

"What's with the weird marking on your head?" he asked.

"What, the three scars you gave me?" I snapped.

Breezepelt frowned. "No… the big white thing."

I frowned. "What big white thing?"

Breezepelt scoffed. "You've never looked at your reflection in the lake?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No…"

Breezepelt smirked. "Guess it's just a stupid malfunction on your face," he mewed.

I glared. "Why am I getting help from you again?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" he mewed.

_Is he flirting with me? Gross…_ Although Breezepelt wasn't ugly, his personality surely was. A part of me wished that this was Jayfeather, but I knew it never could be. _Jayfeather loves Half Moon… I can't get in the way of that…_

"Well, we're here," he meowed, leading me into the camp. All the cats in the camp immediately looked up at the sight of me.

"Breezepelt?" Nightcloud questioned, bounding over to her son. Her blue eyes glared me down harshly. "Who is this?" she demanded.

I met her gaze evenly. "My name is Echoflight," I meowed confidently, shouldering past her. She let out a cry of disbelief as she tried to gain her son's attention again as he led me to Onestar, who already had bounded out of his den. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Echoflight of ThunderClan," he meowed. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I talk with you privately?" I asked, not enjoying the glaring looks of the other Clan cats.

"Whatever you have to say to our leader you can say to us," Nightcloud snarled. Crowfeather glowered at his mate and she lowered her gaze, staring at her paws. I felt somewhat sad for her, but that immediately went away as I turned my head back to Onestar.

"I understand that I am in your camp and trespassing," I mewed, "but I really need to talk with you privately." I looked up at him pleadingly.

I saw Onestar's gaze soften slightly but it immediately hardened again. "What you can say to me you can say to the rest of WindClan," he repeated what Nightcloud had snarled.

I glared. "I know you didn't purposely attack ThunderClan with RiverClan," I meowed. "You did it because you didn't want to show all the Clans that you're all close with us. But that doesn't give you the right to do that, does it? During that battle you trampled our catmint. Now that it's leaf-bare Greencough has struck and guess how much catmint we have?"

Onestar frowned, not enjoying my tone.

"No, really, guess? Or do you want me to guess for you?" I snapped sarcastically.

Onestar growled, "I don't appreciate your tone."

"And I don't appreciate you and your Clan carelessly ambushing us with RiverClan although we did nothing wrong. I understand that you want to show WindClan is strong… but that battle wasn't necessary. Although no cats had died, it wasn't a battle meant to be fought."

Onestar narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you should be revealing your weakness, ThunderClan cat?"

I met his gaze evenly. "Are you sure you want to prove what a terrible leader you are by attacking our Clan? What good will you get out of that? Triumph that you've killed some innocent cats because they have Greencough? Or would you rather lend us some catmint that never should have been destroyed and leave us be?"

Onestar snarled, his claws flexing. "I would watch your mouth," he meowed, "before you say something you'll regret."

"Fine," I meowed. "I'll gladly leave. And when you attack our camp while my Clanmates are dying, you can remember that it's your fault that they're dying in the first place. And attacking our camp won't do any good - it'll just show what a completely fox-hearted, mouse-brained leader you really are."

"How _dare _you," Ashfoot hissed. I met her gaze evenly.

"Really? How would you react if your Clan was in my position?" I responded calmly.

Ashfoot flinched back as if I had raked my claws across her muzzle. I narrowed my eyes. "That's what I thought." I turned my attention back to Onestar. "Please, Onestar," I dipped my head to the leader, "I know that you're better than this."

"Onestar, if there are cats dying I won't tolerate it," mewed Kestrelflight, bounding forward. I glanced at the tabby medicine cat. Onestar glared, looking ready to tell his medicine cat off for not taking his side. "Although they aren't cats of my Clan, as duty of a medicine cat I can not let cats die if I can do something to stop it." He looked at me. "I have some catmint to lend to you. We have lots of it." He smiled slightly. "I'll be glad to share."

Onestar snarled but didn't do anything to protest. I glanced at the WindClan leader. He glowered at me. "Well? Aren't you going to get it? You got what you want," he snapped.

I frowned. "Not necessarily," I started. "I didn't want to get this catmint knowing you're going to hold a grudge against this. My Clan doesn't know that I'm here," I admitted, "and our own medicine cat had yelled at me to not do it. He knew I would want to get catmint to help our Clan."

Onestar glanced at me. His gaze was no longer hostile as he studied me. "I've heard stories about you, Echoflight," he mewed. "The ThunderClan warrior who started out as a loner but turned out to be more true and loyal to ThunderClan than any other pure-blooded cat."

I glanced at the ground, staring at my paws. "Not really-"

Onestar sighed. "Take the catmint and get out of WindClan territory." His eyes flashed. "Don't think we owe ThunderClan anything. I'm not going to let innocent cats die if their Clanmate is here to put her own life on the line."

My eyes widened. _That… could have gone better. _I padded towards Kestrelflight who handed me the catmint. I mewed a muffled thanks to him as Breezepelt met up with me again, leading me out of the camp. Breezepelt smirked. "Now was that that hard?"

I looked at him, glowering, but didn't say anything due to the catmint in my mouth. As we made it to the river, I jumped over it, back on ThunderClan territory. I set the catmint down, turning around to face Breezepelt.

"Thank you," I mewed.

He looked up, his black fur ruffled. He shook his head. "No problem."

I picked up the catmint again, bounding back to ThunderClan territory, attempting to come up with an excuse as to how I found the catmint. But my mind kept travelling back to Breezepelt. Why did he let me even ask? He should have just left it there…

_Maybe not all the bad guys are evil… _I thought as I bounded back to camp. But that thought was replaced with the way his black fur could ruffle up and how his amber eyes were not like golden stars but rather dark pools that seemed to stare at you and figure out all your deepest secrets. I couldn't forget that evil glimmer everytime he sneered or smirked. That evil look in his eyes never seemed to go away…

So why did he help me?


	13. The Mist in the Shadow

**Chapter 13: The Mist in the Shadow**

**This is a shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! Thanks again for reading, and feel free to review. It really makes my day. Smileyface.**

It was time for Mistypaw's warrior assessment. My mind was set on making sure that she would pass. Ever since I had returned with the catmint suddenly, Jayfeather was furious. Only he knew what I had done to get it. I had told the rest of the cats that I had found it searching for more, to which most of them believed it. Of course they would be suspicious about it, but couldn't let them die of Greencough. It passed by almost as if nothing. The first one to catch it was Millie, and immediately Jayfeather gave her the catmint. As more cats began to catch it, the more the catmint seemed to be helping. Thankfully, it didn't last as long as it should have and none of us had to separate to the abandoned twoleg place to prevent spreading, and Firestar didn't lose a life.

_I just hope that helps later on…_ I thought as I followed my apprentice to the center of camp. She was bouncing up and down with excitement. "I can't wait!" she squealed. I smiled. She was excited, that's for sure - and I was too. My first apprentice was going to be a warrior. _Hopefully she'll take everything I've told her into consideration. _

"Echoflight, there you are!" Brambleclaw mewed as he made his way towards us. Mistypaw immediately stopped bouncing around at the sight of the ThunderClan deputy and sat completely still, looking up at him with innocent blue eyes. I rolled mine. _If only she could do that when I'm training her._

"Hello, Brambleclaw," I mewed to the deputy. His amber eyes glistened as he glanced towards Mistypaw.

"I see that you and Mistypaw are ready for the assessment," he meowed. Mistypaw nodded quickly. I nodded as well, laughing shortly at my apprentice.

"Am I going to have an assessment partner? Or did Firestar change his mind about having two mentors assess?"

"That's what I came here to tell you," Brambleclaw meowed. He glanced over his shoulder. "Spiderleg will be your partner."

My face fell slightly. Spiderleg was a great warrior, but he was strict, short-tempered, and bossy. He was more than likely not to pass Mistypaw if she said the wrong thing.

_It's not likely he'll take kindly to me or Mistypaw!_

"I know you and Spiderleg don't necessarily get along," Brambleclaw meowed, noticing the look on my face. I glanced at the deputy. His amber eyes were kind as he continued, "but you need to cooperate. Do it for Mistypaw," he added.

I sighed. At that moment the long-legged warrior made his way over. His amber eyes flashed as he looked at me. Brambleclaw padded off, leaving us to assess Mistypaw. _Just get through this Echoflight… how bad can he be?_

"I'm ready!" Mistypaw declared running to us. I smiled at her energetic attitude. She seemed to not notice Spiderleg's chilly look as we headed out of the camp. We made it to the clearing. It was still freezing and there was frost on the ground. _It's a good thing we're doing this now, _I thought, _before leaf-bare completely freezes over. Hopefully she'll be able to catch something._

"We'll start with hunting," mewed Spiderleg. Mistypaw nodded.

"We can't help you," I added, "so make sure you catch as much prey as you can. And use what I've taught you!" I called after her as she bounded away. I sighed. Spiderleg snorted and I felt like cuffing him across the face. We began to follow Mistypaw silently, making sure we didn't screw up her chances. She was crouching down low, about to pounce on a mouse. She did, biting it cleanly. _She's really improved… at first she was so grossed out that she would whine every time I tried to demonstrate to her… I guess her cat instinct really is kicking in._

"She's doing well," I whispered as she buried her catch and continued on with the hunt. Spiderleg shrugged.

"I guess," he muttered. I held back all my will not to snap at him. _I hope she earns her warrior name… she deserves it. Now that she's finally started listening to me._

A while after, Mistypaw had caught a mouse, squirrel, rabbit, finch and another mouse. It was an excellent hunt and I was proud of her. Spiderleg, however, stared down her catches cooly and didn't comment.

"Okay," I meowed. "The next part is partner hunting. If you're going to be a warrior, you're going to need to know what it's like to hunt with a partner. This will also help if you're leading a patrol," I added. "Just tell your partner where to go and what to do. Don't be afraid to suggest some things as well."

Mistypaw nodded. On cue, Icecloud appeared, her blue eyes bright and excited. "I'm here!" she meowed, sounding breathless. She must've ran all the way from the hollow.

Spiderleg nodded. "Begin," he meowed.

Mistypaw took a deep breath, then turned to the white warrior. Icecloud's blue eyes were kind and she waited patiently for Mistypaw to give directions. _Thank StarClan for Icecloud…_

"If we're hunting in weather like this… the abandoned twoleg place would have more prey. We could go near the slope, and use that as underground cover for your white pelt," she added. I smiled. _She took Icecloud's fur into consideration… Spiderleg's got to at least consider that too._

Icecloud nodded, following Mistypaw to the abandoned twoleg place. Spiderleg and I followed at a slower pace. _StarClan, let her pass! _

After Mistypaw had finished her partner hunting with Icecloud, they had found a nest of mice. It was a miracle, and thanks to Mistypaw thinking about the abandoned twoleg place, we didn't come home empty handed. After putting her catches on the fresh-kill pile, I exchanged a look with Spiderleg. He nodded then bounded up to the Highledge to tell Brambleclaw and Firestar the news.

I glanced at Mistypaw. "I hope I become a warrior!" she trembled.

I smiled. "You will," I meowed. "You did great."

_I just hope Spiderleg goes easy on her,_ I thought as he returned with Firestar and Brambleclaw. _At first he went harsh on his report on Dovewing, but then it turned out smooth. I hope he does the same with Mistypaw._

As Firestar called the Clan cats together, I kept glancing at Spiderleg, trying to figure out what he was thinking. As always, his expression didn't convey anything.

"ThunderClan is pleased to hear that Mistypaw has taken her warrior assessment," Firestar started, "she has trained hard for many moons. We will now go over her warrior assessment." He glanced towards Mistypaw. Looking at her now, she looked so small. Firestar's gaze rested on me. I nodded, stepping forward.

"Mistypaw is a clever, young, thoughtful she-cat," I started. "She has determination and also knows the best places for hunting. She takes things into consideration, and she caught lots of prey in her solo hunting. The pairing hunting she and Icecloud were able to find a mouse's nest hidden under the abandoned twoleg place thanks to Mistypaw's quick wit." I beamed at my apprentice. Her blue eyes brightened at my report.

Firestar nodded, turning to Spiderleg. Spiderleg stepped forward. I held my breath, willing StarClan he'll at least say something nice.

"Mistypaw has great potential although she lacks patience," he meowed. "She gets angry when the slightest thing goes wrong and broke concentration for a second when she thought that there was no prey. The minute she backed out of her hunter's crouch and walked off, a squirrel skidded right past her."

Firestar's gaze saddened slightly. "I see… Patience is important. A warrior needs to have it."

Mistypaw's face, too, fell as she stared at Spiderleg in astonishment. I closed my eyes. _God damn you, Spiderleg! So what? Not like you don't do that too…_

"I'm not done yet," Spiderleg muttered, gaining the Clan's attention again. Firstar's ears pricked.

"Mistypaw does hold other warrior traits, though," he meowed. "She's considerate of her clanmates and watchful. She made sure to hide Icecloud's white pelt so it'd be easier to hunt prey. She also watched to make sure she wouldn't make the same mistake again by stepping on twigs. She was able to gain more patience as she progressed." Spiderleg glanced at me before continuing, "I'd say it'd be mouse-brained if we didn't make her a warrior."

Firestar nodded and I saw Mistypaw's eyes brighten; she looked like she were about to explode. Approaching Firestar, he began the original ceremony, "I call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice," he began. "She has trained hard to learn the ways of the warrior code, and commend her to you as a warrior in her return. Mistypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code - to protect and defend your Clan - even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Mistypaw mewed, trying to keep herself from bouncing with excitement.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name! Mistypaw, from this day forward you will be known as Mistyshadow. StarClan honors your courage and bravery. We honor you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" Firestar then bent down to touch noses with her forehead. Mistyshadow licked his shoulder, the proper tradition.

"Mistyshadow, Mistyshadow!" chanted the Clan.

"Mistyshadow, as a part of the warrior code, you will keep vigil tonight. But until then you may disperse with your Clanmates," he mewed, ending the meeting.

Mistyshadow jumped down from the Highledge, her eyes still gleaming. I smiled as she made her way over to me. "How does it feel like to be a warrior?" I asked.

"Great!" she meowed happily.

I purred. "That's good. Oh, also, during your vigil you can't speak at all. Unless there's an emergency," I added. Mistyshadow nodded as other cats came up to congratulate her.

_StarClan, I was able to train Mistyshadow into a fine warrior, _I thought, looking up at the sky. Although the stars weren't out yet, I still felt as though they were listening. _Although there was trouble with her stubborn attitude, I was grateful to be her mentor. _

I glanced at the she-cat who was being congratulated by the apprentices. Toadpaw and Rosepaw were jumping up and down.

_Welcome to ThunderClan, Mistyshadow._


	14. The beavers are real, Jayfeather

**Chapter 14: The beavers are real, Jayfeather**

**Your guys's reviews honestly make my life. I'm glad you all like this story! Thanks for reading! I do not own warriors, but I do own Mistyshadow and Echoflight. **

I sighed. It was baking hot at the Gathering. _The beavers…_ I thought. The river had been shrinking for the past few moons and my greatest fears have been confirmed. _What are we going to do? I'm never going to be able to convince Brambleclaw to let me go in place of Lionblaze…_

"You'd think it'd be cooler at night," Lionblaze muttered from next to me. I glanced at him, nodding.

"I know," Graystripe mewed from next to Lionblaze. The gray tom let out a sigh as he rested his head on his paws. "This season keeps getting hotter and hotter…"

"I don't even remember the last time it rained…" I murmured, worry seeping through me. Lionblaze and Graystripe murmured their agreements as we directed our attention to the Gathering.

Firestar was reporting; "Just like all the Clans, we have all been coping with the heat. But we have two new warriors - Toadstep and Rosepetal!"

"Toadstep, Rosepetal! Toadstep, Rosepetal!" chanted the Clan cats gathered. I beamed; Rosepetal had been assigned to Squirrelflight to mentor, and she couldn't have been a better choice.

Looking over the cats gathered, I couldn't help but look at RiverClan. They were shooting glares at the surrounding cats and were skinny - so skinny that their fur clung to the frames of their bodies. My eyes widened. _I know it was described badly… but man, I didn't think it looked this bad… The drought really is affecting them…_

"If you're all quite finished," hissed Leopardstar who was crouching on a branch, glaring at Firestar. "RiverClan still has a report to make."

Firestar nodded, unaffected by Leopardstar's tone. "Go ahead, Leopardstar."  
Leopardstar's amber eyes accusingly raked over the cats gathered. "Prey stealers!" she snarled. Every cat jumped up in protest, aside from RiverClan. "What?" mews of anger flowed out throughout the cats gathered like a tsunami.

"Leopardstar, may we ask why you accuse us of that so suddenly?" Firestar asked calmly, although his green eyes were narrowed.

"You have all been taking fish from the lake!" Leopardstar hissed, "and everyone knows that that fish belongs to RiverClan!"

"No they don't," Blackstar mewed, standing up on his black paws. "The lake borders _all _of our territories. We are just entitled to the fish as you are."

"Especially now," Onestar added. "We're all suffering from the drought. Prey's scarce in all our territories. If we can't eat the fish… we'll starve."

I felt Lionblaze's fur fluff up from next to me. I glanced at him. His amber eyes were focused on the Clan leaders, widened in astonishment. _I don't see why the other cats are shocked at Blackstar and Onestar getting their Clans to eat fish, _I thought. _In the books all the cats seemed to hate it aside from RiverClan… I don't know why - I liked fish when I was a human… But I guess I never ate _raw _fish._

Leopardfur snarled, gaining my attention. Her tail lashed angrily. "But it's _worse _for us! RiverClan doesn't eat any other kind of prey, so all the fish should belong to us!"

"That's mouse-brained!" Squirrelflight exclaimed, her green eyes blazing. "Are you saying that RiverClan can't catch any other kind of prey? Are you admitting that your warriors are so incompetent that they can't even catch a mouse?"

Shocked gasps erupted throughout the Gathering. I felt proud for my previous mentor for voicing her opinion, although she did insult RiverClan. Leopardstar didn't take keenly to Squirrelflight's comment, although she was making a point.

"The fish in the lake belongs to RiverClan!" she hissed, her voice high-pitched and thin, reminding me of the sound of reeds when the wind would blow them. "Any cat who tries to take them will feel our claws. From now on, I will instruct all our border patrols to include the water on every side."

"You can't do that!" Blackstar exclaimed, stepping threateningly close to Leopardstar - so close he could shred her if he wanted to. "Territories have never been extended into the lake!"

I closed my eyes, remembering how big the lake used to be. Beautiful, with deep blue water lapping like waves of an ocean. Now it was all dried out and reduced to the size of a puddle - it could barely supply one Clan for water, let alone all four.

"If any cat sets a paw on _our _territory," Onestar growled, baring his teeth in the beginning of a snarl, "they'll wish they hadn't."

Leopardstar met Onestar's gaze evenly. I willed to StarClan that all the fighting would stop. But not until Firestar stepped in.

"Leopardstar, listen," he meowed, his tail lashing from time to time, signaling that he was losing his temper. "If you carry on like this, you're going to start a war between the Clans. Cats will be injured. Haven't we got enough troubles without having to go look for more?"

"Firestar's right," Graystripe murmured from beside Lionblaze and I. I glanced at the older tom. "We should be helping each other, not fluffing each other's fur, getting ready for a fight."

Leopardstar was crouching close to the tree, her eyes glowering at the other Clan leaders, her tail lashing. She let out a snarl, her claws unsheathing.

… _The time of truce! Oh StarClan, why are you letting this happen? _I pleaded silently, looking up at the sky. The moon remained full and no clouds covered it, the stars still shining brightly as well.

I turned my attention back to the tree. Firestar had tensed, preparing himself if Leopardstar jumped on him. Instead, she lept down to the ground. With a furious hiss she waved her tail for her warriors to gather around her.

"Stay away from our fish!" she spat as she and the other RiverClan cats disappeared in the undergrowth, racing back to RiverClan territory.

Everyone was silent. "The Gathering is at an end!" Firestar called. "We must return to our territories until the next full moon! May StarClan light our paths." He bounded down from the tree along with the other Clan leaders.

I glanced at Lionblaze. He looked furious. "She can't do that!" he exclaimed, digging his claws into the dirt.

I sighed. "She thinks she can," I meowed as we followed Firestar back to camp. Lionblaze shook his head.

"She's getting old," Jayfeather meowed from beside us. I jumped. I hadn't noticed the gray tabby had joined us. His blue eyes remained focused on the ground as he continued, "she doesn't know what she's talking about. Mothwing said that she lost a lot of her lives due to sickness. She was so sick she couldn't even get up to get a drink and died from that."

"So she's just doing it to prove her Clan is still strong?" Lionblaze meowed.

Jayfeather shrugged. "She's going about it the wrong way," he meowed.

I nodded. "Yeah… you can say that again…"

As Lionblaze bounded up ahead to speak with Cinderheart and Graystripe, I remained back with Jayfeather.

"Is this the beginning of the so-called beavers?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "The beavers are real, Jayfeather, and yes."

Jayfeather sighed. "How do we convince Leopardstar to bring her warriors? Do you know who goes from each Clan?"

"Two cats from each Clan," I answered, jumping over a tree log. Jayfeather heard me jump and did so as well. "I don't really remember who specifically, but I do know it's Lionblaze and Dovepaw from ThunderClan."

"Dovepaw?"

I nodded. "She's not an apprentice yet," I meowed, "but when she becomes one she realizes her true power… She's actually the one that realizes that there's something wrong with the water so Firestar tells everyone that it was a 'dream' she had from StarClan. Not many cats approved of an apprentice going, though."

Jayfeather glanced at me. "Do you want to go?"

I sighed. "I don't know… nothing bad happens aside from a RiverClan warrior dying… I don't want to take Lionblaze's place, though, since they need his fighting skills to defeat the beavers - they're really strong," I added when Jayfeather looked as if he didn't believe me.

He smirked. "I never said they weren't."

"Well it looked like you thought that," I muttered.

"You could go in Dovepaw's place," Jayfeather murmured. "After all, you know everything about the beavers. Even a way to stop them, right?"

I nodded. "But… it'll be good experience for Dovepaw…"

Jayfeather sighed. "Whatever you say…" he muttered as we reached the camp. We parted ways as I headed back for the warriors den. I sat down in my nest, yawning. Mistyshadow was farther up from me.

"How was the Gathering?" she asked.

I yawned. "Leopardstar thinks she owns the entire lake," I muttered, resting my head on my paws. My eyes began to droop as sleep as overcoming me.

"Really? Wow," Mistyshadow snorted. "Isn't she too old?"

"Hush," I scolded, but smiled nonetheless as my eyes finally closed and I was greeted by darkness.

When I opened my eyes again I was greeted by darkness. I stood up immediately, my fur rising on end. _This is not StarClan… and these aren't my usual dreams… am I in the Dark Forest? _My eyes widened in horror at the thought of being stuck in the warriors version of hell. I looked around in panic.

The all-too-familiar dark brown tabby tom with menacing amber eyes and a V-shaped nick on his left ear. "Hello, Echoflight," he sneered.

"Tigerstar!" I hissed.

He smirked, "you really are a _bright _she-cat," he meowed. "Someone we could use here."

"Yeah right, Tiger_claw,_" I snorted. "No way am I joining your lame-ass idea of a Clan."

Tigerstar's eyes narrowed. "Tiger_star_," he hissed. "And you have no choice. Once you visit the Dark Forest, you _always _visit the Dark Forest. Kind of our rules." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Like I follow the rules," I snapped. "And I'd rather not associate with a bastard like you."

Tigerstar's eyes narrowed, confused by human swear words. I smirked. _It's actually funny to watch him confused. He never admits to anything he doesn't know about…_

Tigerstar regained his composure, for he straightened up, baring his teeth in a wicked smile. "Well, say good-bye to your sweet dreams, Echoflight. Because from now on, you'll be waking up to nightmares."

"Tigerstar!"

Both Tigerstar and I turned around to see Spottedleaf. The beautiful previous-ThunderClan medicine cat bounded over, shielding me protectively. Her green eyes narrowed as she glowered at Tigerstar. "She does not belong here," she spoke assertively. Tigerstar returned her glare evenly. He then switched his gaze to me.

"Remember, Echoflight," he hissed. "I'm going to be your worst nightmare."

"In your dreams, Tigerclaw," I snarled. Spottedleaf nudged me away as we walked off. I glanced back over my shoulder and Tigerstar had vanished, along with the Dark Forest. Spottedleaf sighed with relief. She then turned her gaze to look at me.

"Echoflight, how did you end up there?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I-I don't know," I stammered. "I just went to sleep and then I woke up there." My eyes saddened. He had said that I would continuously wake up there. "Spottedleaf… am I always going to wake up there? He said I would work for the Dark Forest…"

Spottedleaf's green gaze softened as she touched her nose to my forehead. "Don't worry, Echoflight," she murmured. "StarClan will always walk with you."


	15. The Fifth cat

**Chapter 15: The Fifth cat **

_******Hey everyone, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! If so, feel free to leave a review! I read them all, I just don't reply to them since I'm too busy writing the next chapter for y'all. So... yeah. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Smileyface.**_

The heat still wasn't getting better. I had been praying to StarClan every night that it would rain. But it wasn't working. _I guess this is the only way Dovewing realizes she has her powers…_ I thought as I made my way over to Hollyleaf near the fresh-kill pile. I sat down beside her although I wasn't hungry - not like it would make a difference. There was hardly anything left. I glanced down at her scrawny squirrel.

"I'm dry to the bone," I complained. Hollyleaf made a face, spitting out some squirrel fur.

"Like this squirrel?" she mewed. I nodded.

I sighed. "When will it rain?"

Hollyleaf shrugged. Burying the remains of her squirrel, she looked up at me, her green eyes brightening. "At least there's one good thing!" she meowed.

"What?"

"Dovekit and Ivykit are becoming apprentices today!"

I smiled. "That's great!"

I had completely forgotten how close we had gotten to Dovekit and Ivykit's sixth moon. _This means that Dovewing will discover her powers soon!_

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Hollyleaf and I made our way over, sitting down. Hollyleaf was practically jumping with excitement. "These are all so exciting!" she squealed.

"Can I sit here?" asked Lionblaze. Other cats were slinking out of their dens and making their way to Hollyleaf and I. I nodded as Lionblaze sat down on my other side.

"Jayfeather told me that Dovekit is the third cat," he murmured, loud enough for only me to hear. I nodded. He looked at me. "Then who are the other two?"

I sighed. "I honestly have no idea."

We turned our attention back to Firestar as he began the ceremony. "Even though the heat isn't shortening," he started, "we have a happy day for 2 of the kits in our Clan. Today is the day they become apprentices." He turned his gaze to Dovekit and Ivykit, both of whom were sitting at the base of the Highledge next to Whitewing and Birchfall.

"Step forward, you two," Firestar meowed.

Obediently, Dovekit and Ivykit stepped up onto the Highledge. "Ivykit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Ivypaw. I ask StarClan to guide you on your path to becoming a warrior. Cinderheart." The gray she-cat's eyes widened. "You will be a mentor to Ivypaw. You're brave, loyal, and an excellent ThunderClan warrior. I trust that you will pass on these qualities down to Ivypaw."

Cinderheart made her way over to Ivypaw, touching noses with the young she-cat.

"Ivypaw, Ivypaw!" My cheering was died out by the other cats surrounding me.

"Dovekit," Firestar meowed, gaining everyone's attention again. "From this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Dovepaw. StarClan, I ask you to guide Dovepaw on the true path of becoming a warrior. Lionblaze." Lionblaze jerked from beside me, startled. "You will mentor Dovepaw. Your battle skills are outstanding and received training from Ashfur. I trust that you will pass down the qualities you know onto Dovepaw."

Lionblaze nodded as he made his way forward, touching noses with his apprentice. I glanced to my left and spotted Ashfur. His blue eyes flashed, although I couldn't tell if he was upset or happy.

"Dovepaw, Dovepaw!" cheered the Clan.

The meeting was at an end. Dovepaw and Ivypaw were shaking with excitement. "What are we going to do first?" Dovepaw mewed.

"Well, the Clan needs water, so we're going to go to the lake to collect some."

Dovepaw nodded. Cinderheart and Ivypaw stepped forward. "Can we join?" Cinderheart asked. Lionblaze nodded. "Of course," he mewed as the two headed out of the hollow, followed by their apprentices.

I sighed, looking up at the sky. The sun was blazing. Still no sign of water.

"Hey," Hollyleaf meowed, her voice low. "Jayfeather needs to have a meeting. Now."

I frowned. "But Lionblaze just went out."

Hollyleaf sighed. "I guess we can do it without him," she murmured as she led me to the secret hiding place the three littermates would use as kits and young apprentices. Jayfeather was already there, his eyes shut, as if concentrating. He opened them once he heard us walk in.

"Where is Lionblaze?" he asked.

"He went out to go collect water with Cinderheart and their new apprentices," I answered. "Why?"

Jayfeather blinked. "I guess we can tell him later…" he murmured.

"Tell him what?" Hollyleaf asked, sitting down. I did as well.

Jayfeather turned his head towards me. "Yellowfang visited me again," he meowed.

I nodded. "And?"

"And she said that the Fifth cat is closer than we think."

I frowned. "What about the fourth?"

He shrugged. "She said that the other will appear in their own time."

I rolled my eyes. _God dang it, freaking StarClan and their riddles._ "Well… who do you think the Fifth cat is?"

Hollyleaf frowned. "The Fifth cat is someone always around… if I'm not apart of the prophecy… Who here do we know that has an unnatural power and is related to Firestar?"

I shrugged, completely confused. "I can't think of anyone…"

It was silence as us three tried to come to a conclusion about the Fifth cat. Only when Hollyleaf spoke again was the silence broken. "Echoflight… How exactly did you survive the snake bite? And the fire?"

I sighed. _Can't run from everything…_ "I feel the pain every time I die," I mewed. "But I wake up in StarClan, and Yellowfang or some other StarClan cat is there to greet me. The first time there was no cat, only whispering saying something about 'the Fifth cat'. I didn't know what it meant so I didn't say anything about it. I almost forgot about it until now," I added. "And when I died from the snake venom… Yellowfang told me that you all would think I'm 'sent from StarClan'."

Jayfeather continued to stare at the ground.

Hollyleaf shrugged. "It would seem like that…" she murmured.

"You're the Fifth cat," Jayfeather meowed suddenly. My eyes widened. _Me? _

"She is?" Hollyleaf echoed.

"I can't be." I shook my head. "I'm not even related to Firestar."

Jayfeather shook his head. "No… 'closer than we expect'... Echoflight, you're always around. And you have an 'unnatural power'. You have to be the Fifth cat."

_Ugh… I don't want to be involved in this though. I don't do well with peer pressure… or any kind of stress or pressure in general._

I sighed. "Alright," I meowed. "What am I supposed to do then?"

Jayfeather shrugged. "Help us find the other cat?"

"Alright," I meowed, getting up. "I don't know where to start though. Let's get a copy of Firestar's family tree - maybe that'll help," I mewed sarcastically.

Hollyleaf frowned. "What?"

I sighed. "His bloodline."

"Oh…"

I glanced back at Jayfeather. "When are you planning to tell Lionblaze?" I asked.

"Whenever… you can tell him if you want," he muttered, getting up and walking past me. I frowned.

"What's up with him?" Hollyleaf muttered as we followed him out. I shrugged.

"I don't know, he's been like that sometimes…"

"Maybe he's in _looovee!" _Hollyleaf teased, knowing very well that it wasn't true. I laughed along, although I couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy. _Yeah… he's having Half-Moon withdrawals._

"Hey, what's wrong?" Hollyleaf asked. I glanced at her. Her green eyes searched me. "You seemed upset all of a sudden…"

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I lied. "I'm just worried about finding the last cat."

Hollyleaf nodded. "Oh, right…" Although her green gaze remained accusing as she studied my face carefully.

I walked ahead of her, not knowing what to do. _How unrequited, _I thought bitterly. But it was obvious Jayfeather loved Half Moon. _A freaking ghost cat… I'm real! Even if I am a twoleg, I'm real! _My chest hurt. I shut my eyes, heading for the warrior's den, hoping that no other cat had seen me in my dilemma. Sitting down in my nest, I rested my head on my paws, staring at the wall.

I hadn't noticed I had fallen asleep until I woke up again in the familiar starry place of StarClan. I looked around, getting up as I padded forward towards muffled voices. I stopped when I saw all the StarClan cats gathered; Bluestar, Lionheart, Yellowfang, Spottedleaf, and Feathertail.

"Do you think she can handle it?" Bluestar was asking.

Lionheart nodded, a purr rumbling in his throat. "She's a smart she-cat. She'll know what to do."

"But she basically has the power of their lives in her paws." Bluestar sighed. "I'm so worried for her."

"She'll be fine," purred Spottedleaf. "I've spoken with her many times. She has a great will."

Yellowfang snorted. "Unless Jayfeather gets in the way."

I retaliated at her sharp tone.

I noticed the other cat's eyes cloud at the mention of Jayfeather.

"She loves him a lot," Feathertail commented. "If it's not returned-"

Yellowfang snorted. "You assume he'll fawn over Half Moon? I've seen the way he talks about her. He's the blind one, not me."

I frowned. What were the talking about? _Do they think he likes me?_

"He did get very angry when Leafpool let her 'die' from the snake bite…" Spottedleaf murmured.

"Angrier than he should have been," Yellowfang snapped. "What are we going to do? Almost all of us here have been in this situation before."

Lionheart sighed. "I may not have been," he meowed. "But I doubt that Echoflight will let that get in the way of her power."

Bluestar stared at the ground. She lifted her head, her blue eyes blazing. "How are we going to stop it?" she asked.

Spottedleaf sighed. "We don't," she mewed. Bluestar narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"It might be able to help them."

Yellowfang snorted. "Since when has this ever helped us? Look at where we all ended up, Spottedleaf."

The tortoiseshell she-cat met the older, gray she-cat's gaze evenly. "I know what I am talking about, Yellowfang. Let us be quiet, now - she may be here soon."

Feathertail sighed. "I don't want to keep this from her…"

"The less she knows the better," Bluestar murmured.

I waited a few moments for them to quiet down so they wouldn't suspect I was eavesdropping before approaching them. Lionheart was the first to look up. His amber eyes were warm as he approached me, his golden fur thick like a lion's mane. "Hello, Echoflight," he meowed. "I assume I'm the only one you haven't met yet?"

I nodded. He smiled. "I'm Lionheart," he meowed. "It's pleasure to meet you."

"You too," I mewed as I followed him to the other StarClan cats. I sat down as they all looked at me.

I blinked. "What?"

Yellowfang sighed. "Echoflight…"

"What?" I narrowed my eyes. _Did they actually decide to tell me?_

"Are you ready to handle what you're going to have to face?" Bluestar asked. I frowned.

"Of course. I'll do anything to protect the Clans."

"Echoflight you have been granted a power greater than all of StarClan - you have the knowledge of almost all past and present and future cats combined and the ability to rewrite the present, therefore altering the future. Are you sure you're prepared to handle this power?"

I nodded, less enthusiastic than I planned. _That's a lot of… crap._

"With great power comes great responsibility," Bluestar continued. "We don't know how you've been granted this power… but we know you have it. And we're here to help you understand it."

I sighed. "What kind of understanding? Basically I don't die, yet I feel the pain of death. Which kind of sucks, you know?"

Yellowfang narrowed her eyes. "You are willing to give up your lives for the Clans. What's the matter with that? But you can't change everything. You have to be careful what you choose to alter."

"What? Was preventing Ashfur from knowing Squirrelflight's secret a bad thing? Was preventing Hollyleaf from disappearing into the tunnels a bad thing?"

Yellowfang snarled. "Don't give me your attitude. You and I both know Ashfur is still suspicious as to what Squirrelflight was going to say, and why _you _attacked him, and how you both miraculously didn't die in the fire."

I sighed. "You should've let him die then… if you didn't want to raise suspicion."

"What's done is done," mewed Spottedleaf gently before Yellowfang could attack me. "Echoflight knows better now, don't you?" she asked, her green gaze flickering to me.

I let out an aggravated sigh. "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't want it to go that way either! But I panicked… and I was scared. I didn't want Hollyleaf to die. And I didn't want Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw to lose their trust within one another forever!"

"You don't know if it'll be forever," Feathertail pointed out.

"Exactly. But I still didn't want it to happen," I added. "And I panicked too when Honeyfern still saved Bumblekit from the snake… I didn't want her to die… She was my fav-best friend," I corrected myself quickly.

Lionheart narrowed his eyes but no one asked me what I was previously going to say. _Whew… nice save… _

The StarClan cats exchanged looks. Spottedleaf turned to me, her green gaze sympathetic. "I understand you're confused… but you may tell anything you wish to us."

I shook my head, standing. "No… that's fine."

"Or Jayfeather," Feathertail suggested. Yellowfang shot her a harsh glare, but the silver she-cat ignored it. "He's a medicine cat… and he knows about your other secret," she added.

I sighed. "It's hard to talk to him. But I'll try."

As I began to walk away from them, I heard Bluestar call, "Don't take your power for granted! You don't have to change every little thing you want! Think wisely!"

I shut my eyes willing myself to wake up in my nest. _I can't take this… Even the StarClan cats know there's something wrong with me… _I took a deep breath.

"I know it's difficult for you," Spottedleaf meowed. Her green eyes were warm as I looked up at her. "But you'll get used to it."

"Yeah…" I mewed. _Get used to what? Being a twoleg turned into a cat in my favorite book series? Yeah, that's just great! It's so hard… I want to stop all the bad things from happening… but they're right… if I tamper too much with the present I could damage the future… _"Thank you," I added, not wanting to cause them any trouble. I didn't want to be a burden.

Spottedleaf smiled warmly. "Remember, Echoflight - StarClan is watching over you."


	16. Why I'm here

**Chapter 16: Why I'm here**

**_The more I see the word 'here' the less I think it's spelled right... Anyways, another chapter for you all! Hope you guys enjoy this one as well, and don't forget to leave a review! Heartsign and kittyface. Oh, and by the way, sometimes the point of view's will change every other chapter or something... So be prepared for that. But don't worry! I'll say who's point of view it is before the chapter starts... In this case it's Mistyshadow. _**

_**(Mistyshadow's POV)**_

I sighed, sitting near the fresh-kill pile finishing off my mouse as I watched everyone do their Clan duties. _Why am I even here? I know nothing about these cats! I've heard of the books but I never read them because my friend read them and told me they were lame… but now here I am. Living among them… _

"Mistyshadow! Teach us another battle move!" pleaded Dovepaw and Ivypaw, ramming into me. I looked over my shoulder, yawning. The two apprentices never shut up - ever since I started playing with them when they were kits, they always wanted to learn more and more.

I scowled, not in the mood to play with them. "Can't your mentors do that?"

Dovepaw shrugged. "We want to learn from you!"

I sighed. _Not a good answer… _I glanced to my left and spotted Lionblaze and Cinderheart. "Hey! Aren't you two their mentors? Teach them some battle moves!" They ignored my comment and continued to talk about something I couldn't hear. I snorted. _Typical._

Feeling bad that the apprentices were being neglected, I got up. "Alright," I meowed. "I'll teach you something."  
"Yes!" Ivypaw cheered.

"Ok first, let's start with a Leap-and-Hold-" I trailed off when I spotted Echoflight talking quietly with Jayfeather a little ways behind Ivypaw and Dovepaw. I narrowed my eyes as I saw they were both slightly flushed. _What a hypocritical bitch…_ I thought. Although I loved my mentor, I didn't love how she treated me like a five-year-old just because we were both twolegs and she knows more about the warrior cats than I do. _She tells me I can't fall in love with someone outside of the Clan because it'll be 'breaking the code', but there she goes… screwing up both her and Jayfeather's lives._

"Mistyshadow?" Dovepaw questioned. I shook my head, returning my attention back to the two apprentices. Dovepaw's green eyes flashed. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"Do you not want to teach us?" Ivypaw whined.

I shook my head. "N-No… that's not the reason…" My gaze returned to Echoflight and Jayfeather. He had said something to her which she nodded then the two parted ways. She was walking in my direction. I took this opportunity to ask her what the hell was wrong with her;

"Echoflight!" I called. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her amber eyes widened seeing it was me.

"Oh, Mistyshadow," she meowed. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to accuse her of being a hypocritical bitch, but noticing that Ivypaw and Dovepaw were watching with wide eyes, I thought better of it. Instead I mewed, "Do you want to teach battle moves with me?" I gestured with my head to Ivypaw and Dovepaw behind me.

Echoflight looked at them and gave a considerate smile. "I would love to," she mewed. "But I can't right now. Why don't you ask Cinderheart and Lionblaze? They are their mentors after all," she added as she padded off. I snorted. _Yeah that's what I was wondering._

Nevertheless, I made my way over to where Lionblaze and Cinderheart were sitting. Lionblaze was finishing a rabbit while Cinderheart was talking about some easy battle techniques they could teach their two apprentices. "Hey," I meowed. Lionblaze looked up from his food, startled.

"Oh hello, Mistyshadow," Cinderheart mewed cheerfully. I was pissed by how happy she was even though they were neglecting their apprentices.

"Yeah, I have a suggestion for you two."

Lionblaze frowned, licking his lips after finishing his prey. "And what might that be?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at my tone.

"Actually teach your apprentices some things instead of leaving them to annoy me," I snapped. I didn't wait for Cinderheart or Lionblaze to scold me for being rude to an older warrior, and instead headed for the warrior's den where Dovepaw and Ivypaw couldn't bother me any longer.

I sighed again, walking around in my nest before sitting down in a comfortable position. _Why am I here? _I wondered again before shutting my eyes.

When I woke up I was in a completely different place than normal. I stood up, squinting in the darkness. _Where the hell am I?_

Almost on cue a large dark brown tabby tom walked into view. His amber eyes flashed upon seeing me and I noticed his left ear was V-shaped. I glanced at his paws. _Those are… unusually long claws…_ I thought, looking at the sharpness of his front claws.

When I looked at his face again I backed away, shocked. _No way… But Echoflight told me Tigerstar was dead! How is he still here? Don't tell me Hawkfrost is too… it can't be… They're dead! _

Another dark tabby appeared next to Tigerstar. His blue eyes were icy cold as his lips twisted into a sneer, "Hello, Mistyshadow."

"What do you want?" I snapped, getting agitated. "I was sleeping…"

Tigerstar exchanged a glance with Hawkfrost. I narrowed my eyes. _What is wrong with these two? Are they still so mad at everyone that they have to visit them in dreams?_

"We just wanted to talk," Tigerstar mewed. He sat down along with Hawkfrost, watching me. I did as well, my wary gaze never leaving the two.

"Okay…"

"We were wondering, do you ever feel over-shadowed by Echoflight?" Hawkfrost meowed.

I did, actually. When she was training me she always seemed to be thinking about something else, and whenever cats compared us two they always said Echoflight was the greater one. We were both 'loners' yet they treated me like the "disgusting loner" and treated her as if she were Clan-born through and through. It disgusted me. We were exactly the same! If only they knew…

I looked up to see smirks visible on Tigerstar and Hawkfrost's faces. I hissed. "So?"

"We can train you," Hawkfrost mewed. "You want to be special, don't you?"

The word special echoed in my ears. I've always wanted to be special, yes. Even at school I felt over-powered by my best friend Maia. And it never seemed to do any good when I would do something better than her; I was a violinist than her, yet she got all the praise and credit and everyone ignored me. She was a better artist than me, although I tried really hard to make my artwork good, she was always better - and she hardly tried! Even making friends she was better. It was always Maia, never Maia and Nikki or Nikki and Maia.

I'm special too.

"Why does it matter?" I snorted, turning away from them.

"Poor Mistyshadow," Hawkfrost continued. "Even here as a cat you can't seem to get anyone's attention. But Echoflight is exactly the same as you… yet she gets all the attention in the world."

My gaze immediately snapped to him. _What? _"How did-"

"We know you two were twolegs?" Tigerstar smirked. "Everyone up here knows."

"Wh-where exactly is… up here?" I asked, not comfortable with the darkness surrounding us.

"Our home," Hawkfrost smirked. "And it can be your home as well."

I shook my head. I didn't want to have to deal with anything these two offered me. "No thanks, but you guys _killed _cats when you were alive."

Hawkfrost's icy gaze narrowed. "Because they deserved to die."

A chill ran down my spine. _How evil can they get?_

Tigerstar glowered, cuffing Hawkfrost on the ear. "Don't mind my son," he meowed. "He doesn't know what he's saying… he gets it from… His mother."

I frowned. _Tigerstar had children?_

Scratch that. He had a _mate?_

"Mistyshadow," Tigerstar meowed, getting up and walking towards me. "We can help you become special. Remember how Echoflight hardly taught you _any _battle moves when you were an apprentice? Even now you still don't know some _very important _battle techniques."

I frowned. _That's true… she hardly wanted to teach me anything. She said that battles are usually fought for a reason, not just to kill one another._

"We can get you to become special."  
My ears perked at the word again. "R-really?" I stammered.

Tigerstar nodded. "Really." He nodded to Hawkfrost who also stepped forward. "Hawkfrost and I are here to help train you into the best warrior - the best fighter; even better than Lionblaze."

My eyes widened. "Lionblaze?" I echoed, baffled. Lionblaze was one of the best fighters in the Clan - maybe _all _of the Clans.

Tigerstar nodded.

"We'll make you great," Hawkfrost mewed.

"We'll make you special," Tigerstar added.

My eyes widened. _Great… special? The two things I'm not? Really… they can do all that? _A part of me was screaming to deny them, but another part of me was telling me to accept - this was a chance of a lifetime!

I nodded my head, my blue eyes gleaming. "You can really do that?"

Tigerstar nodded again. "So… do you accept?"

"Yes," I mewed.

"Your training begins now," Tigerstar meowed, turning around and disappearing among the darkness, leaving me to train with Hawkfrost.

Hawkfrost's icy blue eyes glimmered with satisfaction.

I felt nervous underneath his stare - I didn't like how he looked at me. It made me feel different… Nothing like how Thornclaw did when he would talk to me.

"Alright, I'll teach you some battle moves worth remembering," he mewed, crouching down, his claws unsheathed.

My eyes widened. "Unsheathed?" I mewed.

Hawkfrost frowned, his eyes narrowed. "How else would we train? You need to get used to the feel of the claws. Every time you mess up," he slashed at the air, "you'll feel the pain and remember not to mess up again."

_But… Echoflight always said to train with claws sheathed… Unless you're in battle… Am I going to fight him?_

Hawkfrost sighed getting into a battle crouch. His blue eyes met mine. "Scared?" he taunted.

I shook my head, "n-no," I stammered. I willed myself not to let my voice falter again. If they see how scared I really was, I wouldn't be able to train!

Hawkfrost sighed again, getting out of his battle crouch and sitting down. "Maybe I should talk to you more," he mewed. "Get you to _really _want this."

I frowned. "But I do-"

"No, you don't, because you wouldn't have asked such a stupid question if you did," he interrupted. His words stung.

"S-sorry," I mumbled.

"And we don't apologize either," he snapped. "A warrior _never _apologizes."

I nodded.

Hawkfrost sighed. "You know, Mistyshadow, I really don't like doing this. I like you," he added.

My eyes widened. "But you just met me…"

Hawkfrost smirked. "I've been watching you for a while, Mistyshadow. I like you. You're young, small… and have your own attitude. You won't listen to what fox-dung other cats have to say. I like that."

I felt my ears grow hot at his compliment. 'Th-Thank you."

"Come on, Mistyshadow," Hawkfrost mewed. "We're all friends here, aren't we? I'm here to help you. You don't have to be afraid of me." His blue eyes flashed.

I sighed, nodding, as I got into a battle crouch. "I'm ready," I meowed, feeling my claws unsheathe.

_This is why I'm here… to be the best ThunderClan warrior I can be. And Hawkfrost is going to teach me…_


	17. A fallen tree

**Chapter 17: A fallen tree**

_******Alright... so I think that's a lot of chapters in one day. And... I don't know if I screwed up the timeline again. If I did, feel free to tell me. And also leave reviews! I know that some people like to be silent leaders but I love hearing your opinions on the story. I read all the reviews even if I don't reply... and yeah. Thanks for reading! Kittyface and heartsign. Oh, and I also don't know when or how often my updates will be. Usually there will be a lot of chapters in one day, but since I have summer reading to do (freaking Julius Caesar by the lovely Shakespeare) I'm not quite sure... So yeah. Expect that. Usually my normal schedule (during the summer) is at least update every day. If it's during the school year, then it would be every Friday. Again, thanks for reading! **_

Lionblaze and Dovepaw have recently come back from the beaver incident. The water was finally returning to lake, and the drought was almost over - it was even beginning to rain. Although Rainwhisker still died I felt angry I wasn't able to go in Lionblaze's place; even though Rainwhisker was a RiverClan cat, he still didn't deserve to die.

"It'll be alright," Lionblaze mewed as I walked alongside him in a hunting patrol. I glanced at the golden tabby.

"Easy for you to say… You didn't know he was going to die before I told you and Dovepaw…" I mumbled, staring at my paws. Thunder crackled from above us. Lionblaze looked up at the sky, frowning.

"It's going to rain _again?" _he groaned. I sighed. Although I loved the rain, I did _not _love getting my pelt wet.

"Hey, you two!" Dustpelt called from ahead of us. "Let's hurry up and catch some prey before the rain soaks us all and our prey."

Lionblaze and I nodded as we bounded forward. Cinderheart gave us both a small smile as she bounded in a different direction, ready to catch some prey. I sighed, my ears twitching, trying to detect any sounds of wildlife. Nothing. _Please don't tell me that thunder scared them all away!_

"Echoflight!" Dustpelt groaned. I jumped at the same time a rabbit hopped into view and out of sight. The older dusty brown tom glowered at me.

"S-Sorry!" I stammered, embarrassment flooding around me. "I didn't see it…"

Dustpelt sighed. "It's alright," he meowed, turning around and bounding off in a different direction.

I cringed, angry at myself for being so stupid. _C'mon Echoflight, keep it together! Alright… you need to catch at least one piece of prey before heading back to camp… that's warrior code too. So do it._

After my little pep-talk with myself, I straightened up and bounded off into a different direction. I sniffed around but no prey was in sight. I groaned at the same time a squirrel scampered away. My eyes widened in disbelief. _You've got to be kidding me!_

Thunder sounded again, scaring away my other two chances of catching prey. "You're fucking kidding me…" I muttered, heading back to our meeting place empty-handed. Lionblaze had caught a bird, Cinderheart had two mice, and Dustpelt had a squirrel. I had nothing.

Dustpelt frowned, setting down his squirrel. "What's wrong? No prey out?"

I sighed. "I'm really sorry… I've just been so off today…"

"But Echoflight," Cinderheart mewed, "you're one of the best hunters in the Clan!"

I shrugged. "Not today."

Lionblaze blinked, his amber gaze sympathetic. "It's alright, Echoflight," he mewed, his voice muffled by bird feathers. "Everyone has their bad days."

I sighed again. _Yeah but it's all my fault… I've been so distracted by everything… I'm not so used to be overwhelmed every second of my life…_ I followed the rest of the hunting patrol back to camp, disgruntled. Stopping outside of the hollow I watched as Dustpelt and Cinderheart bounded into camp. Lionblaze stopped, frowning. He set his bird down to speak to me. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You're aren't coming?"

I shook my head. "No…"

Lionblaze looked at me. I met his gaze evenly. "You go on in," I mewed. "Don't want that bird to go to waste."

He frowned but did as I suggested and picked up the bird, heading into camp. I sighed, watching as he disappeared into the hollow. _I can't go in there… I'm too ashamed. I'll try and catch something… maybe now that my head's mostly cleared up I'll be able to concentrate-_

My thought broke off as another loud sound of thunder hit and slowly rain drops began to fall from the sky. "Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed, looking up as the water droplets hit my face. I shook my head as water dripped from my whiskers.

_You're kidding… you can't be fucking serious? Why? Why me? I never did anything! _I sighed, sitting in my same spot as water soaked through my pelt. Right now I didn't mind getting wet. It was better than stepping into camp and having everyone look at how I didn't catch anything. _I'm not a proper cat… I'm a twoleg for God's sake… A hormonal teenage girl who lets her thoughts and feelings get in the way… And it seriously had to rain? I already have enough on my mind, I don't need this rain and not getting any prey to add to it._

I sneezed, adding to my anger. _Don't tell me I have Whitecough? _I coughed a little, my chest burning.

Sniffling, I decided to head into camp. After shaking my wet fur I was immediately greeted by Lionblaze. He frowned. "Echoflight! What in the name of StarClan did you do?" he exclaimed.

I broke out into another spout of coughing before I could answer him. His amber eyes widened. "Echoflight! Don't tell me you have Whitecough!"

"I guess I do," I murmured.

"Come on, we'll have to take you to Jayfeather," he meowed. I shook my head. "I'm fine!" I exclaimed, only to break out coughing again.

Lionblaze narrowed his eyes. "Sure," he meowed, pushing me forward towards the medicine den. I sighed as we entered. Jayfeather looked up from the herb storage upon hearing our entering.

"Lionblaze?" he asked, making his way towards us. He stopped, sniffing the air. "Did Cinderheart dunk you in the river or something?"

"That's me," I snapped. _Dumbass…_

Jayfeather turned his blue eyes to me. "Oh, right," he mumbled. "What did you do this time?" he asked.

I sighed. "I was-" Cough. "-on the hunting patrol-" Cough. "-but I was really distracted-" Cough. "-and I didn't catch anything." Cough cough. "So I decided to catch something-" Cough. "-before coming back to camp." Cough. "But then it started to rain-" Cough cough. "-and I didn't want to enter camp without anything-" Cough.

"Alright, that's enough," Jayfeather interrupted. He headed to the herb storage, taking out some tansy and catmint. "Here," he meowed, pushing it towards me. "Eat these leaves and the coughing should go away."

I nodded, licking up the leaves. The tansy tasted bitter and I made a face, but willed myself to at least swallow it. I did, regretting the aftertaste but licked up the catmint happily. _No wonder cats like catmint so much…_ I wondered. _It's a delicacy…_

"Jayfeather," I started, "did you and Lionblaze tell Dovepaw about the prophecy?"

Lionblaze nodded. "Yeah, we did," he answered for Jayfeather.

"How did she take it?"

"Not good," Jayfeather mewed. "Just as you told me, she freaked out. She wasn't too keen on not letting her sister in on the 'secret' as well," he added.

"Sorry… I should have told you about that."

Jayfeather shook his head. "It's okay."

As I chewed up the last of the catmint and swallowed, my coughing was already dying down. The burning feeling in my chest was also disappearing, although I still felt groggy from standing out in the rain.

"Oh yeah," I meowed before Lionblaze could leave. He glanced back at me as Jayfeather's left ear twitched.

"What is it?" he asked.

"There's going to be a tree that falls in the hollow… I'm pretty sure it's soon, since it happens a little while after the beavers… But… Dovepaw hears it from a distance. Mostly everyone escapes."

"Mostly? What do you mean mostly?" asked Jayfeather.

"Um… Mousefur complains that most of her bedding has been wet from the rain so Longtail heads back to fetch her old bedding but he gets crushed by the tree… Briarlight had gone in to help him but she also got crushed and she's been paralyzed from here down," I attempted to gesture with my paw.

Lionblaze nodded. "So she won't be able to walk…?"

I shook my head. "She'll be confined to the medicine den for the rest of her life."

Jayfeather sighed. "I'm assuming this is Briarpaw?"

I nodded.

"When is this all going to happen?" Lionblaze asked.

"I-I'm not sure… but I'm pretty sure it's soon-" I was cut off at Dovepaw's immediate shrieking.

"Everyone out of the camp! A tree's falling!"

Immediately other mews of shock and dismay filled the hollow as everyone began racing out of camp. Firestar was the first to bound over to the elder's den, helping the cranky cats out of the camp.

"Wait, my bedding!" Mousefur exclaimed.

"It's alright, Mousefur," Longtail meowed calmly, attempting to get the she-cat to move. I stopped dead in my tracks.

_Oh no… _

Mousefur glared at the blind tabby. "No! All the other bedding the apprentices bring are wet! That's the only dry bedding!"

"I'll get it once I know you're safe out of here," Longtail mewed quickly, shoving the old she-cat forward. I followed as everyone piled out of the camp. I took a deep breath. _Come on, think! How are you going to stop this?_

"Echoflight," Jayfeather started. I ignored him as I watched carefully.

"I'll be right back!" Longtail mewed, bounding away from the safe-spot.

"Longtail, no!" I exclaimed, running after him.

The blind tabby skidded to a halt. He glanced back, his eyes glazed. "Echoflight, not now!" he meowed, racing back to camp. I followed him. The creaking sound of the unstable tree sounded like a gong, ringing in my ears. I could feel the blood rushing in my veins as I followed the tabby. I skidded to a halt, my eyes wide with horror at the sight of Longtail underneath the shade of the tree.

"Longtail, look out!" I screeched, shoving the blind tabby out of the way. Instead of him being crushed, I felt the heavy weight of the oak tree on my back. I heard a snap and let out a yowl of pain as I felt all my bones crush. Before I had more time to experience the excruciating pain, I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again I was surrounded by Feathertail and Spottedleaf. The silver she-cat let out a sigh. "Echoflight… we told you… You have to be careful in which things you choose to alter," she meowed.

Spottedleaf nodded. "If you keep doing things so carelessly…"

"Look, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed. I stood up. I had been laying down previously. I moved my back - no broken bones. "I'm still trying to get used to this whole thing…"

Feathertail blinked. "It's not your time to go, Echoflight."

I looked down at my paws. _Did I fail them? How many times can I do this? If I keep doing this carelessly the whole Clan's going to find out that I'm different… What am I going to do? Jayfeather was able to get them to stop asking questions once… I don't think he'll be able to do it a second time._

"Echoflight…" Feathertail started. I looked up at the she-cat. She exchanged a glance with Spottedleaf. "There's something we have to tell you…"

"What is it?" I asked.

Spottedleaf sighed. "When you were brought here… you were given a gift."

I frowned. "What gift?"

"You can not die."

_What? So I've been given immortality?_

"Wh-What do you mean I can't die?"

"Exactly that," Feathertail blinked. "You can try to die as many times as you'd like to… but you'll be greeted by either us or another StarClan cat… and be brought back home."

"B-But how am I going to explain that to the Clan?" _First a twoleg being turned into a cat… now immortality? What the hell?_

Spottedleaf's green eyes were kind. "Firestar now knows of the prophecy… You may tell him everything if you wish. And remember… the Fourth cat is among you… You just have to look."

I nodded. "I understand…"

Feathertail smiled. "Great… are you ready to go back?"

I sighed. "I'm going to have to sometime."

Spottedleaf let out a small purr. "Wonderful. Remember, Echoflight; we're always watching over you," she mewed as she and Feathertail began to fade and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again I was outside of the hollow. Most of the Clan was gathered around me. I blinked, my vision blurred.

"Is she alright?'

"Amazing! How in the name of StarClan did she survive that?"

"It's kind of strange… don't you think?'

"Who cares? She's alive!"

"Shh, she's waking up!"

I blinked again, focusing on the cats around me. Berrynose, Honeyfern, Lionblaze and Firestar. I attempted to stand up, although my legs were numb, causing me to fall down again.

"Don't you dare try and move," Jayfeather meowed as he pushed past the crowd. I blinked lazily. I felt groggy and my head was spinning. I cringed as I remember what had happened; I had saved Longtail from being crushed by the tree and was crushed instead. Briarpaw never went after him and was never impaled… Everything was alright.

"Eat these," Jayfeather mewed, pushing forward some thyme. I did as he told me to, not appreciating all the stares as he tried to make me feel better. I glanced over to see Mousefur and Longtail. She was shaking, staring at me in shock; I couldn't tell if it was because Longtail could have died… or that I survived something like that.

"You saved Longtail's life!" Hollyleaf exclaimed, making her way over, stating the obvious (as always).

"Amazing!" breathed Cinderheart, also coming forward.

I noticed Dovepaw staring at me in confusion. _She's wondering how I survived that… _I looked around at all my Clanmates. They all had worry, confusion, and suspicion alighting their eyes. _They all are…_

"How damaged was the hollow?" Sandstorm asked Firestar as we began to file back in. Firestar sighed.

"The elder's den has been completely blocked along with the nursery." His green eyes flickered towards me, noticing I had been watching. I felt my ears heat up with embarrassment as I quickly turned away. I looked back only to see him muttering to Sandstorm, "and I'm wondering how she survived that."

Sandstorm nodded in agreement. _So… am I StarClan sent yet, Yellowfang? _I asked sarcastically, looking up at the sky.

"So, are you going to explain to me _why_ you carelessly did that without discussing it further to me and Lionblaze?" Jayfeather asked. I glanced at the gray tabby. Although his eyes were blind, they looked as if they were fiery blue flames. _Is he angry?_

"I… well, if you haven't noticed I kind of didn't have the time," I snapped. "And I'm trying to get the hang of this."

"Well, I'd sort it out soon," Jayfeather meowed. "Because the Clan is getting suspicious and I don't know if I'll be able to stand up for you again."

I sighed. "I know… Thank you for the last time, though."

He shrugged, looking away. "Yeah…"

I glanced towards Firestar's den. The rest of the Clan was cleaning up after the mess the tree had made. I hesitated, wanting to go help them, but I knew I couldn't. _They'd all stare at me… wondering how the hell I survived that… I already survived a snake bite… I can't just randomly show up after being crushed by a tree._

I bounded up to Firestar's den. Pushing past the lichen I spotted the leader. Sandstorm wasn't anywhere to be seen. He glanced at me, his green eyes flashing.

"Enlighten me, Echoflight," he started. I padded over to him, hesitantly.

I didn't answer him as I sat down, staring at my paws.

"No, really," he continued. I glanced up. His green eyes were narrowed. "I pulled you out of that tree and you were dead, Echoflight. You weren't breathing at all and you were crushed. But then after a few moments you're suddenly alive? It doesn't make sense."

I sighed. "I know it doesn't and I can explain."

Firestar gave me a look as if saying '_sure you can'._

"I…" My voice trailed off. "_You can tell Firestar everything… He's already heard of the prophecy."_

"Yes?" Firestar pried, looking curious.

"Well… you know about the prophecy, right?" I whispered.

His eyes widened. "How did you…"

"Because… I'm apart of that…"

His eyes narrowed. "You're not my kin."

"Yeah, and there's also Five cats, not Three," I snapped. His eyes widened at my tone. I cleared my throat. "Sorry… it's just… I'm having a hard time dealing with this as well…"

"So… let me guess… you 'five' have some sort of power?" he asked.

I nodded. "Mine is that I'm… immortal…"

Firestar frowned. "Immortal?"

"I can't die."

"Yes, I know that… but how?"

I shrugged. "I… don't really know. Spottedleaf and Feathertail are trying to help me understand… but Yellowfang and Bluestar say that I can't alter everything about the present to change the future."

Firestar's ears twitched. "You know about the future?" he asked.

"Er, most of it."

He nodded. "So that's why you sacrifice yourself so often."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," I interrupted, realizing where he was going, "I still feel pain like any other cat dying. It's just… I come back to life."

He nodded again, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Do you know how we're going to get that tree out of our camp?" he asked.

"Um… we push it out?"


	18. Dream-walkers

**Chapter 18: Dream-walkers **

**_This chapter is quite short... But anyway, yeah. Hopefully the next one will be longer. Don't forget to review and thanks for reading! Smileyface. _**

I opened my eyes to be surrounded by StarClan's starry mist. _What am I doing here?_ I wondered, beginning to walk around. I've come to notice that either StarClan comes to you, or you come to StarClan. Either way, I looked around. It seemed like an okay-place… After all, it was a cat's idea of heaven.

I squinted, attempting to scout out Spottedleaf or Feathertail, or some familiar face. _There must be a reason why I'm here!_

Soon enough, a pretty white she-cat with shining green eyes came into view. At first I almost mistook her for Whitewing, but after seeing the sparkly mist surrounding her I realized who she was. "Half Moon!" I gasped. The pretty ancient she-cat who would always help aid Jay's Wing/Jayfeather in finding out more about the prophecy.

Half Moon dipped her head. "Hello, Echoflight," she meowed. "I have something to tell you," she added, lifting her head. I nodded.

"What is it?"

"_The mist that lingers deep within the shadows may appear innocent but is hiding a deadly secret. The fading echos will reveal a destiny better kept hidden."_

I shuddered. The prophecy sounded so… eerie and unusual. "I-Is that all?"

Half Moon nodded. "Send my regards to Jay's Wing," she mewed as she touched her nose to my ear. Her sweet scent masked around me. _No wonder Jayfeather likes her… She's amazing. She makes him happy after all… I can't compete with that._

"Stay close to Jay's Wing," Half Moon added.

"What?"

She gave a small smile. "Although he may act angry around you most of the time it's because he has trouble showing how much he cares for you." Her gaze saddened as she looked at the ground. "I can tell he treasures you deeply." She looked up, her green eyes glistening. "I… I wish I could help you more…" Her image began to fade.

"W-Wait! Half Moon!" I called after her. She was almost gone entirely. "Half Moon, wait! I still don't understand. What does the prophecy mean?"  
"Destiny is not a path chosen to follow," I heard her murmur in my ear. "It can hurt. You have to make your own destiny great… even when you think nothing will turn around."

When my eyes snapped open again I was in the medicine den. I panted. _Half Moon… _Looking around, I stretched. _What was I doing in here?_ My back still ached and it hurt to move around too much. _Maybe I had some poppy seeds for the pain and I fell asleep… All I remember was helping the rest of the Clan push the tree out of the hollow… Thankfully it was small enough to fit through the entrance. But the nursery and elder's den is a mess…_

Half Moon's words were still echoing in my mind. _What did she mean by all that? "Destiny is not a path chosen to follow. It can hurt…" Tribal cats… They're prophecies and words are even harder to understand than the StarClan cats!_

I knew Half Moon's words were trying to motivate me but were also telling me I couldn't change my destiny. _What exactly is my destiny, though? _I wondered.

I stretched, letting out a yawn. My back was sore but I wasn't going to let that get in the way. As I headed out of the den Half Moon's prophecy continued to ring in my ears. _The mist in the shadow… Could she mean Mistyshadow? She has been acting off lately… But I doubt that…_

I was cut off out of my thoughts upon spotting Mistyshadow. Bounding over to my former apprentice I greeted her. "Mistyshadow, would you like to go hunting with me?" I asked.

She glanced at me. "No thanks," she muttered, shouldering past me. I frowned.

"A-Are you sure?" I called after her.

She looked over her shoulder. "I'm sure," she meowed. "I was thinking of going on patrol anyway…" As she walked away I was able to notice a cut running across her flank. _Where in the world did she get that? Could it be…? No… She can't be training with the Dark Forest! I warned her about it… _

But the image of Mistyshadow's cut and the description of how the Dark Forest trains warriors unsheathed wouldn't leave my thoughts. The thought of my previous apprentice ignoring what I had told her about and going off with it anyway was pissing me off.

_Something's definitely wrong with her, though, _I thought, sitting down. I watched as she looked around before padding into the warriors den. _If she's training in the Dark Forest I need to stop it… but how? I don't even know if she is with the Dark Forest! She could have just gotten that cut from the pushing the tree out of the hollow… I was stuck with a splinter…_

"Want to find out?" I nearly jumped when Jayfeather's mew sounded from behind me. I turned around to face him.

"Um, sure."

He nodded. "Tonight I'll take you to see what Mistyshadow is dreaming," he meowed, brushing past me. I watched as he disappeared into the medicine den. I let out a sigh. _I just hope we don't find what I think is going on…_

Throughout the day I helped the Clan stock up with prey and clean up more of the twigs and rubbish that the tree had left behind. My shoulder was beginning to sore but my Whitecough had gone away finally. As I headed to warrior's den talking with Cinderheart about how terrible Lionblaze was for not helping and just sitting there eating while he watched us clean, I laid down in my nest, closing my eyes.

When I opened them again I was surrounded by darkness. I started to panic, worried that I had ended up in the Dark Forest. Finally I spotted Jayfeather in the distance. I bounded up to him. "Jayfeather!" I called. He turned around.

"Echoflight…" he mewed, his voice trailing off. His blue eyes stared at me. I remembered he could see in his dreams. I smiled. Did I look different than what he had pictured me to look? He shook his head, turning away from me. "Let's go."

I nodded, following him as he led me farther into the darkness. The place we reached resembled StarClan's hunting grounds - except that it was dark, cold, and no stars were in sight.

_It's just as I thought…_ I looked around. _Oh Mistyshadow… what have you gotten yourself into? _

"Ah!" I exclaimed suddenly, tripping over a root. I tumbled, crashing into Jayfeather. He let out a hiss as he regained his balance, turning around to face me. I lay on the floor, shaking my head. "Ow…" I muttered, standing up.

Jayfeather let out an exasperated sigh, although I saw in his eyes amusement was alighting them. "Why is that you always crash into me? Why not Lionblaze?" he smirked.

I was about to reply when I recognized Mistyshadow's mew. "Let me try again! I'll promise I'll do it right this time, Hawkfrost!" _Hawkfrost! _My eyes widened. I glanced at Jayfeather. He must have been thinking the same thing, for his eyes were narrowed as he shoved me behind the tree I had tripped over.

"Stay quiet," he muttered. I nodded as we got a better view of Mistyshadow and Hawkfrost. There were other Clan cats but Mistyshadow was the only ThunderClan cat I recognized.

"What is Mistyshadow doing here?" I hissed.

"Just as Ivypaw said…" Jayfeather murmured. "They are recruiting Clan cats."

_Yeah… I know. _It had completely crossed my mind to tell Jayfeather… but it was too late; he already knew.

"But how did they convince Mistyshadow?" I murmured. "She's not very persuasive."

"Jealousy, envy… The usual."

I frowned. "But what could she be jealous of?"

"I don't know."

We stopped talking and looked back over at Mistyshadow's training. She was panting heavily, her right ear nicked and bleeding. I noticed the scar I had saw earlier was reopened and bleeding. "I did it!" she meowed in triumph. Hawkfrost nodded, his icy blue eyes shining.

"You did," he meowed. I shivered when a recognizable dark brown tabby came into view.

"How is she doing?" Tigerstar asked. Hawkfrost glanced at him.

"Wonderful. She's a born fighter, Tigerstar." His icy blue eyes flickered towards Mistyshadow. To my disgust, she let out a purr.

I looked away, feeling sick. I had repeatedly told Mistyshadow to stay away from these kinds of cats; I constantly warned her and advised her. Obviously, since she hasn't read the books, she doesn't know what I'm talking about, or how dangerous these cats really are.

"I see…" Jayfeather murmured from beside me. I glanced at him.

"What is it?"

"She envies you."

"What? Why would she envy me?"

"She feels overshadowed by you since you're well-liked and respected, while she's ignored and treated like a loner. She's angry since she's similar to you…?"

"Mistyshadow was a twoleg like me to begin with," I quickly explained. I frowned. "But that doesn't make sense… why would she be so mad?"

Jayfeather sighed. "Like I said. She doesn't like how well-liked and respected you are while she gets treated like dirt. She feels as if you're the same compared to her, yet you get treated better."

I shrugged. _It sounds like a bitchy girl thing to me…_

"Tigerstar must've gotten through to her that way…" Jayfeather muttered. "By playing that he'll be able to make them noticed… The same thing happened with Ivypaw."

I nodded. "What do we do now?"

"We can't stay here," Jayfeather meowed, beginning to walk the opposite direction. "They'll find out we're here, sooner or later. We have to go."

I nodded again, following Jayfeather out of the Dark Forest. _So that's what Half Moon meant when she said "the mist in the shadow may appear innocent but is hiding a deadly secret…" I knew that it revolved around Mistyshadow… But I didn't know that the secret was really deadly…_

"Half Moon?" Jayfeather echoed. I glanced up. His blue eyes were focused on me.

"Um, yeah," I stammered. "Sh-She visited me last night… And she told me a prophecy…" My voice trailed off. Seeing the happy look on Jayfeather's face did not convince me that he "treasured me". Even though Half Moon had said that, it didn't feel like it.

I woke up and Jayfeather was gone. I was in the warrior's den. I looked around. It was still dark and the other warriors were sleeping near me. I sighed, yawning. I wasn't able to close my eyes again; I couldn't sleep with all the thoughts running through my mind.

_Jayfeather loves Half Moon and he always will… He never seems to care about me… _I thought, blinking. My chest began to ache as I thought harder about this. _The Hunters always said that Jayfeather had one true love… and that true love is Half Moon… And everyone else in the human world seems to ship them… There's no way I can compete with that…_

I blinked again, trying to rid my thoughts of Jayfeather. _C'mon Echoflight… half of Half Moon's prophecy still isn't completed yet. "The fading echos will reveal a destiny better kept hidden." What did she mean by that? Echos… does that mean Echoflight? Me? But what kind of destiny will I reveal? _


	19. The Battle with ShadowClan

**Chapter 19: The Battle with ShadowClan**

_**If no one is noticing (which I'm making it hard to see) is that many moons have passed by. So… basically Bumblepaw, Briarpaw, and Blossompaw all have their warrior names now. And yeah. Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to review! Smileyface. I'll also try to make it more obvious how much time has passed... I mostly write these at night when I'm tired though (or when my mom is rushing me) so there are still some mistakes even though these are edited... Also, I find battle scenes really hard to write. So they take forever. And yeah. Thanks again for reading! **_

I still hadn't shut my eyes when a cat was calling. "Firestar, Firestar!" I blinked, lifting my head. _What in the name of StarClan?_

Dustpelt lifted his head along with some other warriors woken up by the shouting. "What's going on?" he hissed as the senior warrior clambered out of his nest. I followed after him as we exited the den, followed by other warriors. Yawning, I looked up at the sky; it was still dark out.

Firestar had appeared out of his den, bounding up onto Highledge. Dovepaw was beside him.

_Oh no… Don't tell me that… Ivypaw told Dovepaw to tell Firestar that we need to take back ShadowClan border… Oh no! _

The flame-colored leader's pelt shone dark ginger in the lighting of the moon. "Everyone, it is time we took back that piece of territory I gave to ShadowClan many moons ago," he meowed. "We attack now!"

Murmurs of shock and excitement rose throughout the Clan. "It's about time!" Berrynose shouted.

"Who's going to be on the battle patrol?" Millie asked. I glanced at the silver striped tabby. Her eyes were narrowed. _Obviously she's just worried about her kits… I never liked Millie… Silverstream was always my favorite. I found Millie annoying and selfish._

If I remembered correctly, no ThunderClan cats died aside from Russetfur and I think Firestar losing a life. I wasn't going to take any chances, though. Although Russetfur wasn't apart of ThunderClan, I wasn't going to let her die. I glanced at Lionblaze. His amber gaze was concentrated on Firestar as he waited for him to announce the battle patrol. _Please let me be on the battle patrol…_

"Brambleclaw will be leading the battle patrol," Firestar announced. "The cats joining him are me, Bumblestripe, Berrynose, Poppyfrost, Blossomfall, Cinderheart, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Echoflight, Dovepaw, Ivypaw, Toadstep, Foxleap, Icecloud, Graystripe, Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Thornclaw and Brackenfur!"

Murmurs broke out through the Clan again. "Why so many warriors?" I heard Mistyshadow mew.

The cat's names whom were called were gathering beneath Highledge. I bounded over. "Alright, remember, if you're not battling a cat at the moment but you see a Clanmate in need of help, go help them," Brambleclaw mewed. "Especially if a full-grown warrior is attacking apprentices. If they say they don't need help, keep an eye on them just in case."

"Right!" I said, along with the other cats gathered.

Brambleclaw then led the way out of the hollow. As I bounded after them I could feel in the pit of my stomach that this was not going to turn out well. As we were running, I attempted to run through how this happened. _It wasn't Dovepaw who tells Firestar… it was Ivypaw… But that mew… It was too mature to be an apprentice… Was it Mistyshadow? _That was the only other cat working with the Dark Forest in ThunderClan that we know of. I shook my head. I didn't want to think about that.

_This battle is not meant to be fought! _I thought as I watched the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats begin the fight. I saw in their eyes that they were shocked; after they did help us with RiverClan and WindClan ambushing us so long ago… and now we were ambushing them. _I have to stop this!_

I was cut off in my thoughts as a dark golden tabby body rammed into mine. I skidded, turning around. "Sorry!" I stammered. "Are you-" I stopped mid-sentence as I got a better look at the tom. He had a kind expression, although something was too familiar about his dark tabby pelt and amber eyes. It was Tigerheart. "T-Tigerheart!"

He narrowed his amber eyes, unsheathing his claws. I looked away, lowering my head. "This battle is not meant to be fought," I murmured. Tigerheart frowned.

"What?"

I looked him in the eye; amber meeting amber. "Trust me, Tigerheart… Cats are going to die… Blood will be shed when it's not necessary… You have to believe me."

Tigerheart frowned. Before he could reply, Lionblaze bounded forward. "Do you need hel-" he started, then stopped upon seeing Tigerheart. "Tigerheart!" he gasped.

Tigerheart curtly nodded to Lionblaze, then turned his amber gaze back to me. "I-I'll try to reason with Blackstar," he meowed as he bounded off, disappearing into the fury of cats.

Lionblaze looked at me, his amber gaze filled with confusion. I shook my head. "I'll explain later! Just get everyone to stop fighting!" I called over my shoulder as I, too, disappeared into the heat of the battle.

Looking around I attempted to find Russetfur and Firestar. Only at the last moment did I see Russetfur who was bounding towards our unsuspecting leader. Before I could attempt to interfere a cat knocked into me. I spun around. Toadfoot. He scratched at my flank as I yowled in pain. "Stop!" I exclaimed. He smirked.

"What, a ThunderClan warrior doesn't know how to fight?" he taunted, scratching at me again. I backed away, my claws remaining sheathed.

"Please, just listen to me!" I pleaded. Toadfoot ignored me as he pounced on me, throwing me to the ground. He had me pinned. I thrashed about, attempting to break from his grip. But it was no use. He lifted his paws, his claws sharp and pointed. I closed my eyes, the blood roaring in my ears. _Is he really going to kill me?_

I had braced myself for the pain to come, but it never did. Glancing around, I felt Toadfoot's weight hauled off of me. My eyes opened to see Lionblaze fighting him off. "Lionblaze!" I gasped with relief and horror. Firestar could be losing more than one life as we know it.

"Pick on someone your own size!" Lionblaze was snarling as he continued to claw at Toadfoot.

I bounded past the fighting toms reaching Russetfur and Firestar. I spotted Russetfur - she was repeatedly killing off Firestar. My eyes widened in horror at seeing my previous mentor and Clan leader in such a weak state. "Stop!" I howled as I barreled into Russetfur's side, winding the she-cat.

"Who do you think you are, giving out commands, loner?" the dark she-cat snapped, regaining her balance.

"Russetfur, you have to stop, please! If you continue like this - if you attack me or Firestar - you'll lose your own life in attempt to get rid of ours!"

Russetfur narrowed her eyes. She snorted, clearly not believing a word I was saying. "What am I doing wasting my time talking with a stupid loner?" she hissed as she crouched, unsheathing her claws, ready to pounce. "In battles you fight with claws, not words," she added as she lunged at me.

I quickly dodged her as she hit the ground hardly. "Ah!" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry!"

Russetfur hissed as she got up then lunged at me again. This time I was slower in dodging and she was able to slam into me, pinning me to the ground. She continued to claw at me repeatedly and I could feel my body going numb from the cuts and wounds leaking blood. I struggled under her grip but moving just made her claws dig deeper.

I closed my eyes. I tried to my my front paws or back paws - anything - but even if I tried to move the slightest Russetfur's claws dug deeper into me.

"Aw, come on loner!" Russetfur taunted, finally stopping at clawing at me. "Or does ThunderClan have cats that can't even defend themselves? Firestar was your mentor, wasn't he? Not a very great one."

My eyes snapped open. I glared at the ShadowClan deputy, then using the time she wasn't clawing at me, I attempted to use all my strength to fling her off. To my luck, she flew backwards at me lunging her off. She landed, though, a smirk spreading across her face. "That's more like it!" she shouted. "It's not fun when you're doing all the fighting!" She lunged at me again. I unsheathed my claws out of instinct and raked them across her exposed side. _I hate fighting like this! It's not worth anything! It's wasted blood and energy and lives will be gone! For nothing!_

My gaze flickered towards Firestar. He had stopped dying now, and was being helped up by Graystripe and Sandstorm. "Firestar!" I gasped.

"Don't get distracted!" Russetfur snarled, slamming into me. I was winded, gasping for air. My lungs felt as if they were on fire. I took a gulp of air, feeling stinging pain again in almost the same places as Russetfur continued to claw at me.

"Get off of her!" I heard Lionblaze shout. He slammed into Russetfur, confusing the deputy. At first she looked surprised, but then her surprise faded to a smirk. "ThunderClan cats need help?" she taunted again. "How disappointing."

"You are what's disappointing!" Lionblaze countered as he Russetfur, pinning her to the ground. She tried to escape and claw at him but it was no use - Lionblaze was too strong.

_No, stop! _

"Lionblaze, stop it! You're killing her!" I wailed.

The golden tabby immediately stopped at the word 'kill'. His eyes widened in horror as he jumped off Russetfur. She tried to stand up, only to stagger back to the ground, falling limp.

I stood up, making my way towards her. I dipped my head to her. "I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I tried to save you… I really did. I wish you would have listened to me… You were a brave and noble she-cat, and I admired how strongly you would fight for your Clan." I licked at her bloodied and ruffled pelt, blinking away tears that threatened to spill. I glanced up at the sky. Tonight a new star would be joining amongst the ranks of StarClan.

"I… I…" Lionblaze stammered, his amber eyes still wide with horror at what he had done. I turned to face him. I padded towards him. "Lionblaze…" I whispered.

He ignored me. His gaze was focused on Russetfur's dead body.

"Russetfur!" Blackstar exclaimed as he bounded over to his now dead deputy. He dipped his head to her.

"I…" Firestar started. His voice faltered from weakness and loss of words. Blackstar swung his head back to the ThunderClan leader, hatred shining in his yellow eyes.

"Take the territory," he snarled. "It wasn't worth the blood that was spilled tonight."

Firestar hung his head as Blackstar and the other ShadowClan warriors gathered, helping carry Russetfur back to camp. Tigerheart stopped beside me. His amber eyes were unreadable.

"You knew… didn't you? That's why you wanted to stop the battle so badly," he whispered.

I nodded. Tigerheart sighed. "I'm sorry… I didn't get help." He admitted. "I… I didn't think you meant it…"

I looked at him. He was young and foolish. I gave a weak smile. "Go to your Clan… You have a Clanmate to mourn."

Tigerheart nodded and I watched as ShadowClan disappeared among the dark forest.

I glanced back at our Clan. We were all pretty shaken up. Most of us were bleeding badly, if not, all. I noticed Ivypaw's eyes were wide with shock at witnessing a kill. Dovepaw glanced at her mentor. Lionblaze still was stricken with grief and horror at what he had done. I nudged the golden tabby.  
"Lionblaze, come on," I meowed gently. Slowly he followed me as I helped lead him back to camp.

"_There are some things you won't be able to alter." _The StarClan cats' words rang through my ears. As I glanced back up at the pale, dark blue sky I sighed. _I wish I could, though…_

Once we made it back to camp we were greeted by the rest of ThunderClan, who too, was in shock. Immediately Jayfeather had his herbs ready and was attempting to heal all of us. Once he made his way to Lionblaze and I he noticed Lionblaze's quiet stature.

"What happened?" Jayfeather asked as he attempted to put on some poultice on Lionblaze's pelt. Lionblaze shook away.

"Don't waste it on me," he meowed. "Give it to someone who needs it."

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. "If you want to blow our secret, be my guest."

Lionblaze sighed. "Alright… but just a little."

Jayfeather nodded as he smeared the poultice on Lionblaze's side. He then made his way over to me. He sniffed me over, then felt my pelt with his paw. "You have scratches all over…" he murmured. "What did you do to yourself?"

"I… uh…"

"She was hardly fighting," Lionblaze meowed.

"She was?"

Lionblaze nodded. "She didn't fight back anyone who challenged her. Instead she was attempting to stop the battle."

Jayfeather let out a sigh as he began to smear the poultice on my wounds. I cringed at the stings as the medicine met the deep, fresh, cuts. After he had applied the yarrow pulp he added some cobwebs to the really deep wounds. "Don't move the cobwebs," he meowed. "Unless you want an infection."

I sighed but did as he told me to do as he moved on to the next patients. I spotted Leafpool as she bounded towards him. "I could help," she offered. Jayfeather glanced in her direction and I held my breath. _He has to accept… She hasn't done anything to make him angry… After all… the secret wasn't revealed…_

After a few more moments of hesitation Jayfeather briskly nodded as he moved onto Graystripe's wound. I saw Leafpool bound towards Firestar. He shook his head. "Treat everyone else first," he rasped.

Leafpool frowned. "But your wounds are so deep."

Firestar weakly smiled. "Leafpool, I've already told Jayfeather away four times. Come back to me when everyone has been treated."

Leafpool narrowed her eyes. I could tell she didn't want to leave her father looking like this. After having somewhat of a stare-down with him, she caved in, picking up the herbs and bounding off to Berrynose.

Next to me, Lionblaze was still a mess. He was quiet as he stared at the ground. _It's not your fault Russetfur died, _I thought as I nudged him affectionately. He glanced at me, smiling slightly although it faded away quickly.

"Lionblaze," I started. "It's not your fault."

Lionblaze sighed. "I killed her though… I didn't know… But Echoflight, you know what scares me?" he asked.

"What?"

"I… I _enjoyed_ it. I thought that I had stopped that… It started when Tigerstar was teaching me battle moves," he whispered. "When I was an apprentice… Even now he still comes in my dreams and demands I continue to train alongside them…" Lionblaze shuddered. "I've been trying to shut them out for so long… But now… after _killing _her… I realized it never went away."

I leaned against him. "It'll be alright," I meowed. He was shaking.

"How do you know?" Lionblaze demanded.

I met his gaze evenly. "I knew she was going to die."

His eyes widened slightly. "Y-You did?"

I nodded, turning away. I let out a sigh. "I tried so hard… but I kept getting interrupted… First Tigerheart, then Toadstep, and then Russetfur wouldn't listen to me. It was my fault she still died, Lionblaze. I should have told you."

Lionblaze shook his head. "That wouldn't have done any good," he murmured.

I frowned. "Why not? If you knew you never would have-"

"Because I'm a killer, Echoflight," he interrupted. "Why do you think my power is that I can't get injured in battle? Because I was _made _for battle." Lionblaze turned away, emotion flaring up in his amber eyes.

It hurt to see my friend like this, but I knew continuously attempting to convince he was a monster wasn't going to help. I leaned against him, trying to make him feel better. We sat in silence as we waited for the rest of the Clan to get patched up.

_Why wasn't I able to save you, Russetfur? It's not Lionblaze's fault that you still died… It's mine._


	20. Dark Forest training is no fun training

**Chapter 20: Dark Forest training is no fun training**

_******This is another short chapter... It's really hard to write in Mistyshadow's point of view. But anyways... hope you enjoy and don't forget to review! Thanks for reading. Kittyface and heartsign.**_

_**(Mistyshadow's POV)**_

I awoke in a cold, dark place known as the Dark Forest. I had grown accustomed to waking up here every night; after all, it was my only chance to learn battle moves that I didn't even know existed! Echoflight would surely get a kick out of it. Today was another day of training from my mentor, Hawkfrost.

There were more cats I recognized joining us. Sunstrike, a WindClan warrior was training alongside Mapleshade while a RiverClan apprentice was being scolded by Ivypaw. I didn't like how other cats were being exposed to the knowledge I was learning, but Hawkfrost had told me that they all thought the same way I did.

As I ventured further down Dark Forest territory I finally spotted Tigerstar, although the she-cat he was speaking with was unfamiliar. I bounded towards him. _Maybe I can ask him where Hawkfrost is?_

Tigerstar looked up when he saw me approaching. "Ah, Mistyshadow," he meowed. "I'd like you to meet Loudears." Turning around to face me was a dark brown tabby. Her eyes were a cold, dark blue color. I nodded to her.

"Hello."

She nodded back, her blue gaze as cold as ice.

_Ick… she gives me the creeps!_

I held back the urge to run away. If I did that Tigerstar might get angry… and I didn't want to see what he was like when he was angry. I've already seen how the other cats behave in the Dark Forest and I wasn't too keen to see how Tigerstar reacted. Looking past the two tabbies I spotted Breezepelt. The black-furred tom wasn't speaking with anyone as he watched Mapleshade training Sunstrike. He noticed I was staring as he whipped his amber gaze towards me.

I looked away, sheepish. _Why isn't he training with anyone? Hawkfrost told me that Breezepelt has shown that he's lost an interest… Which is bad… If they get mad at him… He's going to regret it._

"Loudears is my adoptive daughter and former ThunderClan warrior," Tigerstar meowed, gaining my attention. "She was also Longtail's former mate as well."

I nodded to show I was listening.

"But then the battle between BloodClan, LionClan and TigerClan struck. It took away her life." A trace of guilt flashed in Tigerstar's eyes but it merely lasted a second. "She was murdered by Scourge while trying to protect her younger step-brother, Brambleclaw."

"I'm sorry," I mewed, not really knowing how to react to that. Tigerstar shook his head. "No need to be sorry," he meowed. He looked around. "Where is your mentor?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

He frowned. He glanced towards Loudears. "Well, I'll leave you here. I'll go find him," he added as he bounded off, disappearing amongst the darkness. I glanced at Loudears. Her dark blue gaze met mine and I slowly looked away. _Every time I look at her I feel like ice! God she's freaking creepy…_

She looked past me, her gaze lighting up slightly. "Sorry to leave you, kit," she meowed, "but my apprentice has just arrived." She shouldered past me. I watched as she met up with Tigerheart. My eyes widened slightly. _Tigerheart is joining us? Well… I guess since he's related to Tigerstar… But still. _

I began to go over the battle moves I had learned in my head previously with Hawkfrost at our last meeting but kept getting distracted as Loudears was yelling at Tigerheart. "No, stop! That's all wrong! Do it over!"

I glanced back at them. Tigerheart was panting heavily and his cheek was bleeding along with his right ear. "I'm sorry, I'll do it correctly this time!"

Loudears's eyes narrowed but didn't say anything as he continued to replay the move. I turned away. _At least Hawkfrost doesn't yell at me like that… That nearly hurt my ears! I wonder why she's called Loudears… Maybe because she shouts so loud it hurts your ears?_

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Hawkfrost meowed, bounding towards me. "I had another apprentice that just wouldn't leave."

I frowned. _He had another apprentice? _Hawkfrost must have noticed my face fall as he smirked. "What? You wanted me all to yourself?"

I felt my ears heat up at his teasing. "No!"

His smirk still remained planted on his face as he crouched down. He unsheathed his claws. I tried not to show how upset I was. _I hate this! It hurts so much every time I get a move wrong! And then I have a scar for weeks. I can't even go to medicine den to get some poultice for it or else Jayfeather will be asking questions… he's already suspicious of me… and Echoflight. She's always watching me. Do they know I'm here?_

I felt a paw lash at my face. I fell backwards, my cheek stinging. Hawkfrost's eyes were narrowed. "Pay attention," he growled.

I shut my mouth. Every time I apologized I got nicked or cuffed around the ear. It was just better to say nothing. Hawkfrost smirked. "I'm sorry about that, Mistyshadow," he meowed. "I didn't mean to harm your pretty face."

I glowered. _He doesn't mean any of this… He's just playing with me… Even though I want a mate no one in ThunderClan would like me anyway… And he's a freaking ghost!_

Hawkfrost glanced Loudears and Tigerheart training. He turned back to me, his icy blue eyes flashing. "Let's try that move," he nodded to them. I glanced back, my eyes widening. It looked painful and hard to do. If Tigerheart did one little thing wrong Loudears lashed at him, hard.

"Don't worry," Hawkfrost meowed, noticing I was watching with wide eyes. I turned to look at him. "I won't hit you. That hard."

I sighed, nodding as I got into position. Hawkfrost smirked, crouching down as well. "Let's see if you can get it right the first time."

_This is what it takes to be a warrior, Mistyshadow! You can do it. _


	21. Old cats and hawks are cool too

**Chapter 21: Old cats and hawks are cool too **

_**All right everyone.. This is the moment I've been waiting to get to to show that Echoflight and Jayfeather love. But the timeline is screwed up. It was already effed up to begin with anyway. But I wrote this story when I was twelve and rambunctious and now I'm trying to edit it… But anyways let's just hope it still works out… Yes, I know that Jayfeather visits the ancients in **_**Power of the Three. **_**But since Half Moon gave Echoflight the prophecy recently let's just work from there. Aight? Aight. Don't forget to review, thanks for reading, yada yada, and heartsign.**_

I opened my eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight. Did I oversleep? _The sun usually isn't this bright…_ Shocked, I stood up. I was in the mountains. _Well that explains the blinding sunlight… but why the hell…? _

I looked around, frowning. To answer my question, a pale white she-cat bounded up to me, her green eyes gleaming. "Echo Whispers! There you are! Half Moon and everyone else has been looking everywhere for you." She gasped with relief.

_Echo Whispers…? Am I with the ancients?_

"Come on!" the white she-cat urged as she led me to the caves in the mountain cliffs. I took a deep breath, willing myself not to look down. _Damn it all! I hate heights…_

Soon enough the white she-cat had led me to a clearing with other cats. Some were talking amongst each other while others were demonstrating other moves to one another.

_The Tribe of Rushing Water… Well… the ancient version of Tribe of Rushing Water._

"There you are, Echo Whispers!" Half Moon exclaimed as she bounded up to me. "H-Half Moon!" I stammered as she rubbed her cheek against mine.

"I thought we lost you like Jay's Wing…" she murmured. _Like Jay's Wing? So this is after Jay's Wing led her to the mountains…_

I looked around the camp. "I'm sure he'll turn up," I meowed.

Almost as if the irony were to kill me, sudden yowls erupted from the camp as some tribe cats led a gray tabby with blue eyes into the clearing. My eyes widened. _Jayfeather! _

"Jay's Wing!" Half Moon exclaimed, rushing towards him. She rubbed her muzzle against his. I saw Jayfeather close his eyes as he let out a purr. A pang of jealousy stabbed through me but I willed myself to ignored it as I turned to the other she-cat with me; Dove's Wing.

"Wow, you were right!" she mewed, looking at me. I shrugged. _I usually am…_

I glanced around the camp. "Where is everyone?"

"Hunting! We have to time it right though, since hawks are usually flying around," Dove's Wing explained.

"Echo Whispers are you alright?" Half Moon asked. I glanced at her. She frowned.

Dove's Wing nodded. "When I found you you were unconscious and you looked confused as to where you were."

"Oh um… I hit my head. Hard," I lied. _Well… they're old… Maybe they'll believe it.. Wow, god that was terrible of me to say. _

Half Moon frowned. "Alright, if you're sure. You're not hurt any more than that?"

I shook my head.

"That's a relief!" Half Moon sighed. "I don't know what I would do if my sister was hurt."

I blinked. _Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold the phone. My ancestor cat is Half Moon's sister?_

"Um, Echo… Whispers," Jayfeather meowed. "Can I speak with you for a second? Privately?" he added.

I nodded, following him into an empty cave. Jayfeather let out an exasperated sigh. He looked up at me, his blue eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I… I honestly have no clue! I just went to sleep and I was really tired and I woke up here! What are _you _doing here?"

Jayfeather frowned. "None of your business."

I smirked. "Is it your stick?"

Jayfeather's eyes widened slightly. "M-My what?"

"Your stick. You know… the stick with the tribal markings?"

Jayfeather shook his head, his ears flattening against his head. I smirked. _JayxStick is the true OTP._

"Do you know that the Four cats here are the key to the Four cats in the prophecy?" I asked him. He nodded. "I figured," he meowed. "So far I've found Dovepaw… Dove's Wing… But other than that… I have no clue."

"Shy Fawn will give birth to a few kits later on," I meowed. "One of the kits is called Lion's Roar; he represents Lionblaze. But still… We're kind of lost if we don't know who the Fourth cat is."

Jayfeather let out a sigh. "I was hoping that one of the cats here would be familiar to one back in ThunderClan."

I nodded. "Let's hope for that."

Jayfeather nodded as well. "Let's head back," he meowed, standing up. "Half Moon must be wondering what's going on."

I reluctantly followed behind him, my jealousy overwhelming.

"Echo Whispers!" gasped a she-cat similar looking to Half Moon. She bounded towards me, rubbing her muzzle against mine.

"R-Rising Moon!" I stammered. _Half Moon's mother… _

Another cat, a tom, followed behind his mate. He rested his nose on my forehead. _Chasing Clouds…_

I forced a purr. _So these are my 'parents'. _

After meeting the rest of the Tribe, Jayfeather glanced at me. He made a gesture that I should follow him again. I groaned, walking after him.

"I can't spot anyone who looks like someone from ThunderClan," I told him.

He nodded. "I know… I'm having the same problem."

I sighed. "How are we going to find the Fourth cat?"

"I don't know."

I glanced back towards Half Moon who was discussing something with Rising Moon and Dove's Wing. My face fell slightly at seeing her pretty green eyes sparkle. _No wonder he likes her…_

"Echoflight?" Jayfeather mewed. I glanced back at him. "S-Sorry," I stammered. "Um… let's just keep trying, okay? Maybe one of Shy Fawn's kits could be the Fourth."

Jayfeather shrugged. "Whatever you say."

As it became later in the day I could tell Jayfeather was becoming more stressed out about this. As we settled down to sleep his eyes remained wide open. Right when I had finally closed mine, he nudged me.

"Echoflight!" he hissed. I opened one eye to look at him.

"What?" I asked, annoyed he had just woken me.

"I have no clue who the Fourth cat to be… What if there isn't one?"

I shook my head. "There is one," I murmured, yawning. "Go to sleep, Jayfeather. We can figure it out in the morning."

Jayfeather huffed irritably but didn't say anything else as he let me close my eyes and drift back into calming darkness.

When I opened my eyes again cold wind was ruffling my fur. I shivered, curling up closer to myself. "It's freezing!" I hissed as it did no avail. Cats around us were already getting up, unaffected by the cold weather.

"StarClan it's freezing!" Jayfeather hissed, his fur brushing against mine. I nearly jumped out of my fur. I willed my heart to stop pounding.

"Echo Whispers, Jay's Wing! May I have a word with you?" Stone Song mewed as he walked up to us.

Jayfeather and I nodded as we got up and followed the tom to a place not surrounded by many cats.

"I'm worried that it isn't our destiny to come here," he meowed. "Jay's Wing, both you and Echo Whispers were certain that our ancestors wanted us here but I can't help thinking it was wrong."

I shook my head. "No, we are supposed to be here. It's going to take some getting used to, but we'll learn."

Jayfeather nodded. "Echo Whispers is right. We need to find different ways for living here."

Stone Song looked thoughtful, nodding. "I guess you're right," he meowed, standing up. "Thank you," he added as he walked away.

I glanced at Jayfeather. "Are you certain they'll stay here?" he asked.

I nodded. "They will," I meowed.

"Oh, Jay's Wing! I was wondering if you'd like to come hunting with me!" Half Moon asked. Jayfeather looked up, nodding. He followed the pretty white she-cat out of the camp. I sighed. Although other cats were with them, it didn't help clear the fact that Half Moon was with Jayfeather.

_And Jayfeather is so in love with her._ I shook my head. _Stop acting like a jealous bitch. Try and find someone who looks like a ThunderClan cat._ I began to walk around, starting conversation with almost every cat I spotted in the tribe. None of them looked like anyone I knew.

_Okay… Maybe this harder than I thought._ I sighed, sitting down. _What do I do now? We were sent here for a reason… maybe that reason isn't to find the Fourth cat… But who knows?_

There was a sudden howl as Chasing Clouds ran back into the camp, Half Moon and the rest of the hunting patrol following. I bounded up to them. "Chasing Clouds!" I exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

He nodded although one of his eyes remained closed. "I'll be fine."

_Damn those flying birds! If they kill someone here I swear…_ I spotted Jayfeather standing back, awkwardly. I bounded to him. "Jay's Wing, can we talk?" I asked. I saw Half Moon was listening. "Alone?"

Jayfeather nodded. "Let's go," he mewed as he led me out of the camp again. I attempted to follow him around the mountains as skillful as he was. My left paw slipped awkwardly as rocks tumbled from my weight. I hissed, regaining my balance before I slipped.

"Careful!" Jayfeather warned. "It's slippery since there's a waterfall there," he nodded his head towards the rushing water. I glared at him.

"You could have told me that sooner," I meowed.

Jayfeather didn't say anything as we passed the waterfall. We were soon near a mossy clearing. I sat down, grateful we weren't at the edge of the mountain anymore.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

"Um… well, Half Moon is supposed to become the first Stoneteller."

"The first Stoneteller?" Jayfeather echoed. "But that means that she can't take on a mate! You know how much she loves me! How much I…"

I lowered my gaze. _So Jayfeather really does love Half Moon. How typical._ "I know," I meowed. "But you're going to have to tell her."

"No, you tell her!" Jayfeather snapped. "I will not tell her that!"

I glared at him. "What do you mean you won't tell her?"

"I mean that I won't tell her!" Jayfeather narrowed his eyes.

I hissed angrily, raking my claws against the ground. "I can't believe you're being so selfish! She won't listen to me if I tell her! She'll listen to you!"

"You know how much Half Moon loves me! If I tell her it'll break her heart," Jayfeather countered.

_Half Moon! _I thought angrily. _You said that Jayfeather cared about me. If he did he'd listen to what I have to say. _"That's exactly the reason _why_ you have to tell her!" I exclaimed. "Because she loves you! And she won't be a selfish, inconsiderate fox-heart you're being right now!" I added.

Jayfeather's eyes widened. After the shock faded away it returned to the anger. "Are you sure? Or will she ignore it because I broke her heart?"

I couldn't take it anymore. _Does he not care hearing this breaks _my _heart? _"Fine then!" I snarled. "Go on, don't tell her! Destroy the prophecy and have these cats leave back to the Lake. See if I care," I added as I stalked off.

I sighed angrily. Jayfeather just doesn't understand! _Why won't he? StarClan makes it sound so easy…_ I stared up blankly at the sky. Whenever I heard him say the name 'Half Moon' I would fume in anger. _She's a freaking ghost cat for God's sake! _I thought, angrily. _Even though I'm a twoleg at least I'm not centuries older than him! He never even gives me a second glance… he hardly thinks of me as a friend too, I bet._

I twitched my ears. A caw of a hawk sounded. I looked up, my eyes widening in horror at the sight of a hawk flying towards me. I tried to move but my body was paralyzed with fear. _Wait… am I immortal here? _My eyes widened in terror at the realization that I was definitely not immortal.

"Echo Whispers!"

I recognized the voice; Jayfeather. "Echo Whispers!" This time it was Half Moon. I scowled. _Half Moon…_

Suddenly the hawk grabbed me, its claws piercing through my fur. "Ah!" I cried out as I tried to break free, only to have the hawk's claws dig deeper into me.

"Echo Whispers!" I heard Jayfeather hissed as he jumped up onto the hawk. My eyes widened. The hawk let out screeches as it tried to fly off with the both of us, but was having difficulty with Jayfeather clawing at it. "Jay's Wing!" I gasped. The hawk squeezed me tighter. I let out another gasp as I gulped for air.

_It's no use,_ I thought sadly. _Jayfeather isn't strong enough…_

"Don't give up, Echoflight!" Jayfeather hissed, barely loud enough for me to hear. I opened my eyes immediately. I looked around and saw that more cats were coming. Chasing Clouds, Stone Song, Rising Moon and Dove's Wing.

"Let go of her!" howled Chasing Clouds as he jumped up on the hawk, along with Stone Song as they helped Jayfeather in clawing at it. The hawk screeched, attempting to throw the cats off to no avail.

Finally giving up, the hawk dropped me, flying off as it let out another angry screech, disappearing. I gasped for breath, grateful I was on the ground. Jayfeather was by my side immediately. He nudged me. "Echoflight… Echoflight, are you alright?" he whispered.

I nodded, although my side stung terribly where the hawk had grabbed me. "Echo Whispers!" gasped Half Moon. "Are you all right?"

I nodded as I tried to stand up. My legs wobbled and I almost toppled over only to be saved by Jayfeather (again). "Rest some of your weight on me," he meowed. "We'll take you back to the caves."

I nodded again as I leaned against Jayfeather, heading back to camp. _Fugging hate hawks..._


	22. B, a new S, and a BS - oh my!

**Chapter 22: Birth, a new Stoneteller, and a broken stick - oh my!**

_******Hello and thanks again for reading! Hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Also, if you have any questions about it then feel free to message me! I'd love to do a little Q&A or something. If you want to leave a review, go right ahead! I read them all and they honestly make my day. Smileyface.**_

"Echo Whispers, are you all right?" Rising Moon fussed as she licked me in-between the ears repeatedly. I shook her off, the fur between my ears now up and fuzzed around.

"I'm fine," I mewed reassuringly, although I was still slightly scarred from the hawk attack. _If Jayfeather and the others hadn't been there… I could have died. And I doubt I'm immortal here._

At the sound of Rising Moon's motherly nature, I felt a pang of homesickness. _I miss my own mom and dad… I hope they're doing all right… I've been gone almost a year, probably._

"Echo Whispers, Echo Whispers?" Dove Wing's voice called. I glanced up to see the pale gray she-cat bounded towards me, her green eyes wide.

"What's the matter?"

"Shy Fawn's kits are coming! Do you know what to do?" she added. I saw confusion and worry was alighting her green eyes. _No one else here knows how to birth kits… _I _don't know how to birth kits… _I glanced around the camp, hoping to find the familiar gray tabby. Jayfeather was no where in sight. _Where is he?_

I met Dove's Wing's gaze again, nodding. "I do," I meowed as I followed her to where Shy Fawn was laying. _Alright, you've read so many times how the medicine cat helps give birth… I mean, you wanted to be a doctor when you were a twoleg… How hard can it be?_

Hearing Shy Fawn's cries of pain made me think otherwise. I sat down beside the she-cat who was writhing on the ground. She let out another moan as she suffered from another convulsion. I rested my paw on her flank. Her belly was swollen more than it should be for a cat her side. The kits were obviously ready to come out.

_The kits are going to come soon,_ I thought as I felt a paw kick from Shy Fawn's flank. She let out another cry of pain. "Shh," I soothed her. "It'll be all right." I looked back up to see Dove's Wing watching with wide eyes. "Can you go fetch some moss and dip it in water so Shy Fawn can drink from it? This is going to take a while…"

Dove's Wing nodded as she bounded off. I glanced over to see Rising Moon bounding forward. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. I nodded.

"Can you find a stick?"

Rising Moon's gaze looked puzzled. "A stick?"

I nodded again. "Yeah, so that way Shy Fawn can bite down on it when the pain comes."

"Can't you just give her something for that? Herbs… anything to stop the pain?"

I shook my head. "She needs to feel the pain so that way we know when the kits will come." Rising Moon looked at me warily before sighing as she bounded away to find the stick. I glanced back at Shy Fawn. She was looking up at me, her eyes tired.

"Please help me," she whispered. "I don't know what to do…"

"Don't worry," I meowed, "I'll be here all the way."

Shy Fawn nodded, shutting her eyes tightly as another spasm took a hold of her. She let out a surprised shriek at the sudden pain. The other cats gathered in the cave turned to look at me, their eyes wide with worry.

_Jayfeather… Where are you? _I thought as I attempted to reassure the laboring she-cat. Rising Moon and Dove's Wing had returned with the supplies I had asked them for, but Shy Fawn was too weak to even take a sip from the moss, let alone bite down on the stick.

_She's already so weak… I don't even know what I'm doing. Oh, Jayfeather, come back soon!_

_**(Jayfeather's POV)**_

I walked along Half Moon as we reached the a small look. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was already darkening. I sat down next to Half Moon, her sweet scent overflowing.

"Jay's Wing, look at the pool! The moon!" she breathed. I glanced at the water. I didn't see a moon at all. I narrowed my eyes, the words Echoflight had spoken to me a while ago echoing in my mind; "_You have to tell her _because _she loves you! And she won't be a selfish, inconsiderate fox-heart you're being right now!"_

I continued to glare at the water. "_Fine then! Go on, don't tell her! Destroy the prophecy and have these cats leave back to the Lake. See if I care."_

Why was she so mad? I didn't want to hurt Half Moon's feelings… Echoflight didn't know how much she liked me; if she did, maybe she would have understood more.

"Jay's Wing?" Half Moon asked. I glanced back at her. Her green eyes were round with confusion. "Are you all right?"

I nodded. _You have to tell her…_

"I'm fine."

"Oh, okay! But did you see the moon? It's beautiful… Especially in the lake like this!"

_You have to tell her._

"Y-Yeah, it is."

_You have to tell her._

"Oh Jay's Wing, it's breathtaking!"

_You have to tell her._

_For StarClan's sake! _I shut my eyes tightly, not being able to handle the words swimming through my head. _I'll tell her! _

"Are you sure you're okay, Jay's Wing?" Half Moon asked. I opened my eyes again to see the pretty she-cat staring up at me, her eyes wide with confusion.

"I-I'm fine…" I took a breath. _How am I going to tell her?_ "I… Half Moon, I have to tell you something."

Her green eyes lit up happily. "Oh… all right," she mewed shyly. I felt a surge of pain race through me. _No… not that…_

"I-I can't be your mate," I meowed. "Because… because you are the first Teller of Pointed Stones."

Half Moon gave me a confused look. "Teller of Pointed Stones? Well, that's a mouthful of a name!" she exclaimed, although I could detect bitterness in her mew.

"Stoneteller or Teller of Pointed Stones, you will guide these cats in the tribe; you will be their Healer. Therefore… you can not take on a mate or have kits…" My voice trailed off.

"Why me?" Half Moon countered. "Is it because I may have wanted to have your kits, Jay's Wing?"

"That's not it!" I retorted. "We can't choose our destinies, Half Moon, and we can't choose who gets to be apart of them…" _No matter how badly we want to…_

Half Moon hesitated. "How do you know it's me?"

"Because… You saw the moon in the pool."

"You can see it too, can't you?"

I shook my head. Her green eyes narrowed. "You're lying…" she whispered.

"No, I'm not, Half Moon."

I saw her eyes brim with tears. Waiting for her answer seemed to take moons before she finally mewed, "Fine. I will be the next Stoneteller."

"Really?" I asked, shocked she had accepted.

"I'm doing this because I trust you," she added. Her green eyes met mine as she stepped forward, touching noses with me. She was the first to pull away. Not meeting my gaze, she began to head for the caves. "Let's head back…"

I followed her. I didn't know how I felt. I felt upset I had hurt her feelings… but another part of me was thinking. _Did I want Half Moon to be my mate? Did I want her to have my kits? I always wanted to be here… I remember I pleaded with Rock that I wanted to stay here forever… I can see here… I can have my own life. _

"_I can't believe you're being so selfish!"_

"_You know how much Half Moon loves me! If I tell her, I'll break her heart!"_

I remembered as I saw Echoflight's amber eyes flash with pain. My ears flattened to my head. _I was so rude to her… She looked hurt for only a second, but I saw it… How could I have treated her like that? _

We soon reached the caves, breaking my train of thought. Shy Fawn was laying in the middle of the clearing, Echoflight beside her. I bounded towards them. Echoflight was shaking and she was attempting to console Shy Fawn. She glanced up when I sat down beside her.

"Jay's Wing!" she gasped with relief. In a quieter tone, she added, "I don't know what to do… I can't stand seeing her in so much pain…"

I nodded, turning my gaze to Shy Fawn. Her belly was completely swollen - a little _too _swollen for a cat her size. I touched my paw to her flank, feeling a convulsion as she yowled again, her voice cracking from weariness. "They're coming now," I meowed. "Echo Whispers, once the kit comes out, nip at the sack and then lick the fur the wrong way to get it breathing."

Echoflight nodded although I saw her face twisted slightly at the graphic description. I smirked slightly, but my smile soon faded away as Shy Fawn let out another yowl of pain. As she let out another yelp, the small bundle slithered out. Echoflight immediately leaned forward, snapping the sack as she began to lick the fur. The kit mewed in protest as it began breathing.

"Set him next to his mother," I meowed. Echoflight did as I told her, setting the kit next to Shy Fawn's belly. Before Shy Fawn had a chance to look at her newly born son, her stomach spasmed again.

"The second one," I meowed as the kit appeared. Echoflight did the same procedure as the kit mewled pitifully. She set her next to her mother's belly. We repeated the same ordeal until three kits were nestled next to Shy Fawn. She sniffed them, her eyes tired.

I brushed my paw over her flank. "Hang on," I meowed. "There's one more."

Shy Fawn's eyes widened at my words as she let out another shriek. The last kit slithered out onto the floor, motionless. Echoflight nosed the kit towards Shy Fawn's belly. "Is he breathing?" she asked.

I looked at the kit. I began to lick his fur vigorously. "He is," I meowed, "and I'm not going to let him give up that easily."

I pawed out some mucus from the kit's mouth and continued to lick his fur the wrong way. The kit moved between my paws letting out a shrill cry. I stared at his golden tabby pelt.

"He has a roar like a lion," Half Moon commented as I set the kit next to Shy Fawn.

"Then I shall call him Lion's Roar," Shy Fawn meowed, warmth gleaming in her eyes as she stared down at her kits.

_No, this is Lionblaze, _I thought, looking down at the kit. _Welcome, brother…_ I glanced at the other kits. None of them looked familiar. I looked back to Echoflight. She met my gaze, thinking the exact same thing as I.

_Where is the Fourth? _

_**(Echoflight's POV)**_

When we woke up again we were back in the forest. I shook my head, standing up. Jayfeather beside me had barely woken up as he too regained his footing. I looked around, my eyes widening as I spotted the stick.

It was broken in half.

_But how? Jayfeather had given it to Thornclaw so they could pull Rainwhisker out of the mud… How did it end up here?_

"Echoflight… are we back?" Jayfeather asked.

I nodded. "Um… yeah."

He narrowed his eyes. "Echoflight what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing…" My voice trailed off. _Totally not suspicious, Echoflight…_

Jayfeather's eyes continued to stay narrowed. I let out a sigh, caving in. "Um… it's the stick, Jayfeather…"

"The what?"

"Your stick…"

His eyes widened slightly. "What about my stick?"

"It's… um…" How was he going to take this? "Broken?"

"Broken?"

"Yeah…"

Jayfeather was silent. I braced myself for him to begin throwing a fit - including reasons why he can't see Half Moon any longer - before he shrugged, letting out a sigh. "I knew it would eventually…" He murmured, feeling around the ground for it. Once he had got a hold of it, he brought the two pieces of the stick towards him feeling at the claw markings.

"D-Did you tell Half Moon?"

Jayfeather looked up at me. "Yeah…"

"H-How did she take it?" I stammered. _What if he was right and she rejected it because she was upset?_

He let out a sigh, pushing away the stick. "Not well, at first… But you were right," he added. "She told me she trusted me. She accepted."

I nodded, awkward. "That's… good." I looked around. We were near the abandoned twoleg place. "We should… head back, you know…"

Jayfeather nodded briskly. "Um, yeah."

As we headed back I couldn't help but slightly overjoyed that the stick was broken. _I love Half Moon and all… But I do _not _love Half Moon and Jayfeather… Sure, I'm jealous… but that's normal. _

My jealous thoughts left my mind as I realized the Fourth cat hadn't been with the ancients. _What are we going to do? How are we going to find out who the Fourth cat is? After all… we can't just go asking around who has an unnatural power they've been hiding for moons. _

"Echoflight?"

"Y-Yes?" I stammered, suddenly worried. _Shit… Jayfeather can read minds, can't he?_

"How do you think we're going to find the Fourth?"

I sighed, slightly relieved. "I… don't know."

"I don't think we should go asking around, though," he smirked. I felt my ears heat up with embarrassment.

"Shut up…" I muttered, although I could feel happiness rush through me.

Although Jayfeather and I didn't talk much on the way back, just having him as company was as good as anything else.


	23. Nightmares and terrors

**Chapter 23:Nightmares and terrors**

_**Well, just as the chapter sounds it's kind of going to be... creepy. Since nightmares are creepy. Anyways.. yeah. Still feel free to send me a Q and I will A it (a question and I will answer it for those who are not getting what I am putting out) and I will answer each question one by one. Also, a question from me to you; which do you ship more? JayxEcho or BreezexEcho? Thanks again for reading! Kittysmile. **_

Screeches and yowls filled the air as a fury of fur and claws scarred my vision. It was dark, while no moon or stars were in sight. More howls and screeches filled the air making me cringe.

I looked around frantically, attempting to find a familiar face, hoping they weren't dead. Almost to contradict myself, Thornclaw was slaughtered in front of me. My eyes widened, stepping back as I saw the older warrior fall to the ground, blood welling from the wound on his throat.

The cat who had murdered him stood over him, casting a dark shadow over the warrior's golden pelt. I narrowed my eyes at the murderer. Whoever that was, was going to pay!

The killer lifted his face so I could see it clearly; it was Tigerstar. He began to cackle menacingly as his amber eyes lit up, enjoying the feeling of killing.

More yowls and shrieks defeat filled the air as wind blew the scent of blood towards me. I shook my head, shutting my eyes. _What is going on?_

"It's too late," Tigerstar whispered. I looked over to see Firestar's last life ebb away from him as the rest of the Clans lay around me in a pool of blood. "The battle for the Dark Forest begins."

I shrieked with terror, lifting my head up. I shook my head, panting. Hollyleaf was beside me, along with some other warriors who had woken up from my nightmare. My eyes were wide as I stared at the ground. I couldn't get the image out of my head.

"Echoflight! Are you alright?" she asked.

I was still panting. The dream was so real… yet it wasn't. "I-I'm fine… Sorry, everyone," I apologized. Dustpelt shook his head, grumbling.

"It's fine," Foxleap meowed. "We needed to wake up, anyway," he added, trying to make me feel better. I nodded although I still felt upset for waking everyone. _It was just a dream… It meant nothing… _

I nodded as I got up, following him and Hollyleaf out of the den. I stared at my paws. The smell of blood still stung at my nose and Tigerstar's gleaming amber eyes were embedded into my mind.

"Echoflight, what are you doing?" Brambleclaw asked. I looked up just in time to see myself run into brambles hanging in the hollow. I let out a yelp as I collided, the thorns digging into my pelt. I attempted to tug myself free, only to cause the thorns to dig deeper.

I could smell the fresh tang of blood and I willed myself not to gag in front of everyone. _I can't stand the smell of blood… and now everyone is looking at me… _I felt my ears heat with embarrassment. Brambleclaw stepped forward. "Stop moving," he meowed. "We'll get you out of there."

I huffed irritably as he and Thornclaw helped pull me out. Brambleclaw's whiskers twitched, his amber eyes lit up with amusement. "Do you always purposely try to hurt yourself?" he asked.

I shook my head. "N-No…" I began to walk off, only to be stopped by Thornclaw.

"You're bleeding," he commented. I glanced back at my pelt, remembering the metallic smell of blood. It was smeared all over my pelt.

"You should go see Jayfeather," Brambleclaw added. I sighed, obeying the Clan deputy as I made my way towards the medicine den. I hadn't seen Jayfeather ever since we had gotten back from the ancients. Since then, he's kept his distance from me. It stung, but not as much as the cuts on my back.

As I pushed myself past the bramble screen I squinted to try and find the medicine cat. "Jayfeather?" I called. I finally spotted him. I stepped into the medicine den. "Jayfeather I-" I cut off as I realized his image was… almost holographic.

I frowned, only to step back in alarm as Breezepelt appeared, attacking Jayfeather. The blind medicine cat attempted to fight back with no avail. Breezepelt's amber eyes glimmered as he unsheathed his claws and slashed at Jayfeather's throat. My eyes widened in terror and I backed away, shaking. I was too shocked to speak. Breezepelt looked up from his kill to look at me. I noticed his black pelt was stained with blood and his amber eyes gleamed. I glanced at his thorn sharp claws, stained with Jayfeather's blood.

_Jayfeather! _I wanted to let out a yowl. I fell to the ground. Breezepelt had disappeared although Jayfeather's body remained. The longer I stared at it, the more it began to fade away until there were no remains. I was still shaking. I was about to let out a cry of dismay, only for Spottedleaf to appear next to me. Her sweet scent was overflowing, yet her green eyes were sad.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. Jayfeather's dead body had returned, along with the other kills I had seen in my nightmare. My eyes were wide. I shook my head, not wanting to see any more of this.

I looked back up to see that Spottedleaf had disappeared, and instead, was replaced with Dark Forest warriors. They were attacking all Clan cats in sight - ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan and WindClan. My eyes were wide with horror as I opened my mouth to scream. Nothing would come out.

"I wasn't able to stop the battle that is yet to come," Spottedleaf's voice sounded from next to me. I quickly turned my head in her direction only to see that she was nowhere. I looked back at the battlefield before me and it had disappeared as well. I was in the medicine den, still, collapsed on the ground.

"Echoflight?" Jayfeather questioned, appearing from behind me. I got up quickly, moving out of his way. He frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I…" my voice trailed off. _Do I just tell him I ran into brambles because I keep having these… visions?_

Jayfeather sighed. "Nevermind. I can smell the blood on you," he added as he headed to the storage, getting some cobwebs. "I doubt it's infected yet. I'll just put these on for now," he meowed as he set the cobwebs on my cuts.

"Th-Thanks…" I murmured once he was finished. He shrugged.

"No problem," he muttered, turning away.

Before I headed out the den, I stopped. My visions have to mean something. My body still felt stiff from encountering a death… Jayfeather's death, caused by Breezepelt. _Was that really going to happen? _I shut my eyes, willing myself to forget the grotesque images. _I can't stand this… _

But the same evil glimmer in Tigerstar's amber eyes was present in Breezepelt's, just as it always been. I opened my eyes. _I'm going to stop this, once and for all!_

"Is there something you're not telling me?"asked Jayfeather. I looked over my shoulder, shaking my head.

"Not at all," I meowed, bounding out of the medicine den and out of the hollow towards WindClan territory.

_Please be here… Please be here,_ I willed. I have to stop Breezepelt from visiting the Dark Forest - if he does… he could kill Jayfeather. I doubt Spottedleaf had sent me those nightmares and images just to scare me. _She sent them for a reason,_ I thought, reaching the WindClan-ThunderClan border. I skidded to a halt, looking past the river and to the highlands. _And I'm going to stop this battle._

I waited for what seemed like forever. I yawned. I hadn't slept at all last night thanks to the nightmare. I glanced over my shoulder. There were no ThunderClan patrols. I looked back to WindClan border. No cat in sight. _Maybe I was too eccentric about this…_

As I bent down to take a drink from the lake I stopped as a mew sounded from ahead of me. "Back again I see."

My head snapped up immediately to see Breezepelt. A smirk was present on his face as he made his way towards me, stopping at the river. He sat down, his amber eyes gleaming.

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. _How am I going to tell him to stop going to the Dark Forest? If he turns against me he'll tell Tigerstar and they might kill me in my sleep…_

"What? So happy to see me you can't come up with something to say?" he sneered.

My eyes narrowed at his cocky attitude. "You know, going to the Dark Forest really is ruining your manners." I snapped.

Breezepelt's eyes widened slightly. "How did you…?" he whispered, shocked.

I shrugged. "I seem to know a lot of stuff…"

Breezepelt's eyes narrowed. "What do you want? Are you going to tell me that I should stop going? Well… I'm not going to listen to a ThunderClan cat!"

I met his glare evenly. _I expected this… _"Why are you even training with them? You know that the Dark Forest is terrible…"

The black tom snorted, turning away. "As if you know…"

I frowned. "No, I don't know. So why don't you enlighten me?"

His amber eyes continued to glare at me, but softened suddenly. It was only for a mere second before they hardened again. "You don't have a father that doesn't give you a second glance or a mother that is continuously ignored by him because you aren't the son he wanted."

I kept quiet. I knew Breezepelt had it rough, but that didn't mean he could just go to the Dark Forest. _Jayfeather had told me they used persuasion… That's probably what they did to convince Breezepelt… They already knew he was filled with so much hatred… _

"You know it's a bad idea-"

"What do you know about anything?" Breezepelt snapped. "You're just a stupid ThunderClan cat that's not even Clan-born! You're a loner with no family!"

My eyes narrowed. I jumped up, my pelt fluffing up as my amber eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare talk shit about me like that!" I snapped, not caring I was using human curse words at him. Breezepelt's eyes widened at my tone and the unfamiliar word. "You don't know what my life is, Breezepelt. My mother expects me to be perfect all the time and I can hardly talk to my father because it's so hard. He's gone almost all the time and my mother is always yelling at me to be 'perfect' and do well in what I do. But guess what? It's _fucking _difficult and I'm sick and tired of hearing you complain about your life and insulting me when you don't even know anything about me."

Breezepelt's eyes continued to remain wide at my rant. I shut my mouth, looking away. _Hopefully he doesn't suspect anything…_

"What are you?" he demanded.

_Well shit._

I looked at him, my eyes narrowed. "A cat?"

Breezepelt shook his head. "No… you're not. Tigerstar told me to beware of you but I…" his voice trailed off as he shook his head again, his ears flattening to his head.

"What did Tigerstar say about me?" I asked.

"Nothing!" Breezepelt snapped.

"What did he say about me, Breezepelt?"

"I said nothing!" he snarled, his amber eyes blazing. Red lights began flashing in my eyes… _Dangerous… he's dangerous…_

I backed away slowly. He wouldn't attack me now… Even though no cat was around to witness it he wouldn't dare. "Tell me what he said."

Breezepelt stepped forward threateningly, his front paws in the river. His eyes never left me. "Don't test me," he hissed. "I'd love to be the cause of your death; to hear you scream my name as your life ebbs away at my paws."

_What the fuck. _My eyes widened. I continued to back away. "You're sick…" I muttered. _There's no saving him… He's already been exposed to the Dark Forest too much…_

"Am I?" he smirked, backing away.

I shook my head. "Why did you even help me that one time?" I demanded. Breezepelt frowned.

"What?"

"With the catmint," I added. "Why did you help? You could have just realized how weak ThunderClan was, go to Onestar and plan another ambush. You could have killed me then. You can kill me now. Why aren't you?"

"I said don't test me," Breezepelt snapped. "Or else you'll wish you hadn't."

Silence followed as I examined the black tom. He had a long slash along his flank and across his face. _What happened to him?_

"Why are you so beat up?" I asked. "Is it because you suck at fighting?"

Breezepelt glared at me but didn't respond.

I frowned. _Something is up… But I'll never get anything out of him._

I opened my mouth to say something but Breezepelt cut me off, his amber eyes flashing. "Just stay away from me."

_Why? It's a free country! _I wanted to say. "You can't tell me what to do."

Breezepelt looked back at me, his amber eyes unreadable. "If you don't… you'll wish you had."

Just as quickly as he had disappeared the visions were back. I shut my eyes tight, falling to the ground at the sound of battle cries and cat's lives being ebbed away. I tried not to be sick as I opened my eyes to see blood everywhere and dead bodies lying on the ground… Dead bodies of my Clanmates.

"_Dangerous…" _Whispered a voice in my ear. I shut my eyes, wincing at the sound of a cat yowling in pain.

"_I'm dangerous." _I heard Breezepelt meow. I opened my eyes in shock - was he still here? He was standing in the river over a dead body… As I got a better look I backed away in horror at seeing my recognizable white arrow-head marking and amber eyes - they were open and lifeless.

"_I told you to stay away," _Breezepelt whispered, blood dripping from his pelt, staining his paws. "_Why wouldn't you stay away?!"_


	24. The Broken Gathering

**Chapter 24: The Broken Gathering**

_**Well I read through some reviews and yes… Breezepelt is as creepy as ever. And remember that the Q&A is still going on so send in your questions! They can be about anything if you want. But yeah. Sorry that this chapter took forever to come out. And an answer to someone's review since I can't reply to it; Echoflight has the arrow-head marking like the avatar because why not? *My twelve year old self thought it would be nifty to give her something avatar-themed but I'll try and come up with a more symbolic reason that fits in with the story.*(btw thanks for noticing, I think you're the only one who has so far). Secondly, throughout the original warriors series Spottedleaf has been described to either have amber or green eyes - to this point I honestly don't think eye color matters. And thirdly I don't think Echoflight is going to return to the Dark Forest any time soon. But thank you for your review! :) Heartsign. Also, remember to vote who you like better; BreezexEcho or JayxEcho because who doesn't like a little poll every now and then?(just say so in the reviews). Stay classy and a lil' bit sassy everyone. Kittyface.**_

I raced back to camp, my heart pounding. As I rushed into the hollow I took a deep breath. I shut my eyes tight, the day terrors never seeming to leave my head completely. Just the image of Breezepelt standing over my maimed and dead body was terrible to think of. I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of the terrible sight but it was embedded into my mind.

"Echoflight?" a mew sounded. I turned around sharply to face Jayfeather. Although he was blind his blue eyes were blazing with concern and his fur was fluffed up with anxiety.

"I-I'm fine," I sighed. Jayfeather's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't ask how you were yet," he meowed suspiciously.

My ears flattened against my head sheepishly. Before I had a chance to correct myself Jayfeather added, "Lionblaze told me you've been acting strangely since this morning. If there is something you need to talk about…" His voice trailed off awkwardly.

I shook my head, embarrassment flooding through me. "No, really, I'm fine," I tried to reassure him. "Don't worry about me - I'm just same old Echoflight."

Jayfeather frowned but didn't press the matter any further, to my relief. I didn't want him to know I was speaking with Breezepelt, his half-brother. It would just lead to unneeded circumstances - besides, Jayfeather didn't get along well with Breezepelt anyway.

"It's the night of the Gathering," Jayfeather suddenly mewed, changing the conversation. I glanced at the gray tabby. "Maybe we'll find out something tonight."

I sighed. "I doubt it…" Every conversation I've had with Jayfeather either led to talking about the Fourth cat or not talking at all - and I didn't know which one I liked the least.

"Ivypaw's told me that the Dark Forest is rising in their rankings," he murmured, leaning in closer. "More Clan cats are joining them - they keep speaking of a battle to be won, but the recruits have no clue why they're learning all these battle moves."

I frowned. "Well, then, we're just going to have to find a way to stop it."

Jayfeather snorted. "Really? Enlighten me."

I narrowed my eyes. "Well, we could start by convincing some of the Dark Forest warriors it's no use-"

"Bad idea," Jayfeather interrupted. "If they find out you know about them training they're going to kill you in your sleep."

I sighed. _He's right…_ "Well, then I don't know what to do. Got any bright ideas, Sherlock?"

Jayfeather frowned, confused at the name 'Sherlock', but before he could question it, Lionblaze bounded towards us. "Get ready for your second Gathering in all of coming to join ThunderClan." His amber eyes sparkled.

"Are you rubbing it in my face that you've gone to Gatherings more than I have?" I narrowed my eyes.

Lionblaze shrugged, smirking. "Maybe I am."

Jayfeather snorted, shouldering past us both. Lionblaze frowned. "Is something wrong with him?"

I shook my head. "Just as cranky as ever…"

Lionblaze seemed unconvinced as he watched his brother retreat the medicine den. Glancing back at me he let out a sigh. "It seems like Jayfeather's been more distant… Dovepaw and Ivypaw have been acting strangely as well."

I frowned. "How so?"

"Ivypaw is always getting these scratches and wounds from some place and Dovepaw is constantly ignoring what I'm telling her; she's too distracted by her sister to concentrate on becoming a warrior. Either that, or I've failed in training her."

I shook my head. "I highly doubt that's the problem. And they're sisters, aren't they? Of course she's going to be worried." _As for Ivypaw's wounds… I don't think Jayfeather has told Lionblaze about his suspicions of Ivypaw training with the Dark Forest._

"Who else is coming to the Gathering?" I asked as Brambleclaw stepped forward. Lionblaze glanced over his shoulder at his "father".

"Guess we're going to find out," he meowed.

I frowned. "Wait, how did you know I'm going?"

Lionblaze looked back at me, smirking. "I don't."

I narrowed my eyes but before I could say a biting retort, Brambleclaw began to announce the cats attending the Gathering. "Sorreltail, Longtail, Brackenfur, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Echoflight, Foxleap, Poppyfrost, Icecloud and Dovepaw."

I glanced back at Lionblaze who was looking smug. "Guess I should be the psychic, huh?" he joked. I shook my head as we followed Firestar and Brambleclaw out of the hollow and to the island.

I looked over my shoulder at Jayfeather. He was being yelled at by Poppyfrost about something. Slowing down my pace I waited until I was walking at their level.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean, I don't know when they're coming, all right? Will you leave me alone now?" Jayfeather snapped.

Poppyfrost huffed. "These are my _sister's_ kits, you know."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Would you like to remind me about the rest of your family tree?" Jayfeather hissed sarcastically. Poppyfrost's eyes widened in shock at his tone. They then narrowed as she got angry.

"You know, sometimes I wish Leafpool were still the medicine cat," she hissed. "At least then you weren't so stuck-up." She then shouldered past Jayfeather and myself, not noticing I was there. My eyes were wide at witnessing this conversation.

"What?" Jayfeather sighed, noticing my presence. I swallowed.

"Is Honeyfern expecting kits?"

Jayfeather nodded. "It's too early to know when they're going to be born."

My eyes saddened as I remembered Honeyfern's death, and how Poppyfrost had ended up becoming Berrynose's mate instead of her sister; she had felt so upset that she was expecting her kits, she had run to the Moonpool believing that Berrynose had only been her mate because he had to - not because he wanted to. She was wrong, though; Berrynose was always protective because he was afraid he would lose her just like he lost Honeyfern.

"Is that why you saved Honeyfern?" Jayfeather asked. My ears pricked, remembering he could read into minds if he wanted. I nodded.

"Yeah… Not that I didn't like Poppyfrost, no… It's just… Honeyfern's my friend," I meowed. "And I'm closer to her than Poppyfrost… Not like I'd rather Poppyfrost die instead of her it's just-"

"I know what you meant," Jayfeather let out a _mrrow_ of amusement. We padded towards the island in silence. The wind began blowing harshly, almost as if it wanted to knock my paws off as I walked across the tree-bridge. I stumbled, falling onto the trunk as I clung on for dear life.

"Careful!" Brackenfur warned from behind me. He waited for me to gain my balance again before walking alongside behind me. I let out a sigh, my ears heated up with embarrassment once again.

We were finally on the island and the wind continued to howl through my ears. I twitched nervously. _Is this a sign?_

Lionblaze shivered from beside me as we walked farther into the island, reaching the tree where the leader's would make their announcements. Just as quickly as the wind had come, it stopped. A dark feeling washed over me.

"What's wrong?" he asked from beside me.

I shook my head. "Something… doesn't feel right."

Lionblaze frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You don't feel it?" I felt ask if utter blackness was rushing through me. Something definitely was not right. I sped up the pace, running towards the tree only to skid to a halt. The other Clans were joined together but were trembling as the cat no one expected to see (or wanted to see). Tigerstar.

"Let the Gathering begin!" he sneered, his tone mocking. Around him, Dark Forest warriors were laughing triumphantly, their eyes blazing.

Lionblaze's claws next to me unsheathed, raking across the floor. Jayfeather had made it beside us, his pelt fluffed up. I nudged Lionblaze. "Stay calm," I murmured.

I casted a glare at the Dark Forest warriors. Is the battle starting so soon?

Clan cats were staring awe-struck at the ghost cats.

"This can't be!" one cried out. "Tigerstar? He's back?"

Tigerstar's amber eyes blazed. "Of course. You can't kill me!"

Hawkfrost stepped forward, beside his father, his icy blue eyes raking across the crowd. "You will all _regret_ believing in the code and your precious StarClan! Dark Forest warriors - gather!"

I looked around at the Clans. Sunstrike was the first to step forward, along with Redwillow, Beetlewhisker, Robinwing, Mistyshadow, Ivypaw, Tigerheart and Hollowpaw. I spotted Breezepelt near the WindClan warriors. His gaze faltered at the sight of me. When Hawkfrost glared pointedly at him, he hesitated. Glancing back at me he stepped forward, following the Dark Forest warriors.

I noticed Nightcloud's eyes widen and Crowfeather spat, his hackles raised. Breezepelt glanced back at his father, hurt shining in his eyes.

"You are no son of mine," Crowfeather growled. Breezepelt's eyes narrowed. I saw the anger race through him.

"I never was."

He bounded towards the Dark Forest warriors. Cats let out gasps at the sight of their fellow Clanmates gathered amongst the Dark Forest. "Traitors!" one cat spat, their tail lashing.

My own eyes narrowed at Mistyshadow. The she-cat was staring up at Hawkfrost. I bit back a yowl. _We'll see where your true loyalties lie…_

Attempting to calm myself down, I was interrupted by Mapleshade cackling menacingly. As I glanced back up at the tree I tried to pinpoint all of the Dark Forest warriors; Hawkfrost, Brokenstar, Mapleshade, Tigerstar… and a she-cat sitting next to Tigerstar. Her eyes were an icy blue, similar to Hawkfrost's, and her pelt was a dark brown tabby. My eyes narrowed in confusion. _Who is she? I don't think she was ever mentioned in the books… is she a side character?_

Tigerstar noticed me staring. He smirked. "I see you've spotted my daughter, Loudears."

Longtail's pelt bristled from in front of me. I frowned at the blind tabby. "Longtail?" I asked. He looked over his shoulder in the direction of my voice. "Do you know that she-cat?"

Longtail let out a sigh, his blind eyes staring at the ground. "She was my former mate. She died in the battle against BloodClan."

I frowned. _Longtail had a mate…?_

Brambleclaw stepped forward, distracting me. "Loudears! I-I don't understand! Wh-Why are you with… _them? _Why!"

Every cat looked to see how Loudears would reply. She didn't say anything, although her blue eyes faltered slightly, looking at the dark brown tabby. The softness in her icy blue eyes lasted only for a second, though. What emotion was in them? Sorrow? Regret? Or maybe guilt.

"Dark Forest warriors, attack!" Tigerstar howled. Battle cries sounded as the cats attacked the Clans. I doubled backwards in shock next to Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf. Blood splattered everywhere. I tried not to retch as the blur of cats fighting clouded my vision. The other things I had experienced that hadn't come true yet seemed to be blazing in front of my eyes. What if they ended up coming true? What would I do then?

"Dovepaw!" I heard Lionblaze call. Immediately the pale gray apprentice appeared, her green eyes wide with horror.

We looked around. Cats were fighting Dark Forest ghosts and their own Clanmates… I felt sick. I shut my eyes. _This isn't what I want!_

A pelt brushed against mine causing me to open my eyes. I spotted Half Moon. "Believe in yourself Echo Whispers," she whispered.

_But it's so hard to! _I wanted to wail out loud. I shook my head, taking a deep breath. I have to be strong. I glanced around. I couldn't stand to see a battle being fought for no reason. My gaze flickered to the tree. Tigerstar was nowhere to be seen.

"We have to run," Hollyleaf meowed. I immediately opened my eyes in shock, turning to stare dumbfounded at the black she-cat.

"We have to _what?" _I exclaimed.

"Run." Hollyleaf responded simply.

My eyes remained wide. "Are you kidding? We're just going to leave our Clanmates here to die?"

"They're here for us," Jayfeather meowed. I stared at the gray tabby. "They know of the prophecy," he added.

I frowned. "Wh-What? How?"

"Ivypaw had to tell them about our powers…" Dovepaw whispered. "They tortured her - Hawkfrost tortured her…"

My eyes were still wide. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My dream world was turning into a nightmare. I glanced towards Lionblaze who nodded his head in agreement. His amber eyes were sad.

"We thought you already knew that…" he meowed. "Because of your powers and everything…"

I shook my head. "N-No… I didn't know that." _What's going on? Does this honestly happen in the next books? _

My heart was pounding. "If we have the power then we can use it against them!"

"We have to think about it," Jayfeather meowed. Hollyleaf nodded, beginning to slink off of the island. "First we have to find a place to think over everything."

"I _can't_ believe we're doing this!" I shrieked as I followed after them. We raced from the island, nearing to the kittypet place. Blood was rushing in my ears and my chest ached. _Are we even doing the right thing?_

"Echoflight, calm down," Lionblaze meowed. I glanced at him. We stopped running to catch our breaths. My paws ached from running so far and my heart hadn't stopped pounding since we left the island. I bet that they could hear how loudly it was echoing.

"Why not?" I exclaimed. "We just left our Clan to die! We left _all _the Clans to die! I doubt that's why StarClan gave us our powers! The warrior code clearly states-"

"The warrior code doesn't matter right now!" Jayfeather snapped. He then added in a gentler tone, "We have to do this. For the sake of the Clans."

"For the sake of the Clans?" I echoed, dumbfounded. "This is for the sake of our Clans? To leave them to die? To _abandon_ them?" I sobbed. "I don't know what to do…"

Hollyleaf brushed against me comfortingly. "I know. We're all scared. We _all _don't know what to do."

"We should have _stayed_ and helped everyone!" I retorted. "What happens if every cat dies on our account?" I could feel the anger rushing towards me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Don't worry," Lionblaze meowed. "We're all worried. But they won't die."

"You don't know that!" I lashed my tail, pulling away angrily, my amber eyes blazing. "The Dark Forest is here to destroy the _Clans! _Not us!" _They have it all wrong! We have to go back!_

Hollyleaf exchanged a glance with her siblings. Dovepaw was silent. I was trembling with anger and fear. I didn't understand why this was happening, but I knew we had to go back.

"Come on," I meowed. I turned around, starting for the forest, only to run into the leg of a human. I stepped back, hissing in shock. The twoleg bent down, setting down her work supplies.

"Aw, hello kitty," she cooed, picking me up. I hissed and thrashed in her grip, my claws sheathed. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Hollyleaf was shoving Jayfeather and Dovepaw out of the way. Before Lionblaze could escape, the twoleg picked him up as well. Lionblaze let out a yowl of protest as he thrashed in her grip. I noticed his claws were unsheathed.

"Lionblaze!" I called. He stopped before he could slash at her bare arm. "Don't hurt her!"

His amber eyes narrowed. "But she-"

"Don't." My own eyes narrowed. He let out a sigh.

_Well great… I have no clue what to do now._

Turning into one of the buildings we were standing in front of, the twoleg unlocked the door. I recognized it as a pet shop. "I had a feeling I would run into something coming to the pet shop this late," she said as she opened a cage, setting us both in it. She peered into it. "Sorry I don't have another cage… You're going to have to share with him." She reached in, ruffling my head, scratching me behind the ears. She closed the door, locking it before checking around her desk and at the other animals.  
I glanced back at Lionblaze. He shrugged, letting out an angered hiss. "What are we going to do now?"

I shook my head, glancing around the pet shop. In a cat cage next to us I spotted a fluffy cream-colored tom and in the cage next to him, a pretty brown tabby. Her green eyes flickered towards me.

"Welcome to the club," she meowed.

Lionblaze frowned. "Where are we?"

"You don't know?" asked the tom. Lionblaze shook his head.

"It's a pet shop," I muttered to him. He stared at me.

"What's a pet shop?"

I sighed. "It's a place where twolegs go to buy animals."

Lionblaze's eyes widened. "What if someone buys us?" he asked.

The woman who had put us in the cage had come back. She opened it again to set in a food tray. "I put in another order for a cat cage," she said kindly. She pet my head again, along with reaching towards Lionblaze. He ducked back, not wanting to be touched by her. She sighed.

"That's one boyfriend you have there," she joked, scratching my ears again. She finally noticed the three scars on my cheek. "Oh, those look like they hurt." She commented.

I rolled my eyes. _No shit, Sherlock._

She laughed. "I always loved cats," she continued. "They always seem to have tempers, but they always can be sassy from one point or another."

Lionblaze stared at me in confusion. I glanced back at him with a look saying 'I'll explain later'. The owner laughed again. "I'll leave you to your boyfriend," she said again, shutting the door and locking it.

I sighed, wishing she would have forgotten to do that. Then at least we could have had a chance to escape.

As she cleaned up around the store, she grabbed her stuff, turning out the lights and locking the door behind her. I watched until she disappeared around the corner.

"What did she say?" Lionblaze asked.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Nothing really. She said she's getting another cat cage though," I meowed. Noticing Lionblaze's puzzled expression, I added, "this thing we're standing in so we don't have to share."

Lionblaze nodded.

"She also thought you were my boyfriend," I added. Lionblaze's eyes narrowed.

"Your what?" he asked, his amber eyes lighting up with confusion once again. I sighed, forgetting he didn't understand 'twoleg talk'.

"My mate."

Lionblaze's expression brightened as he let out a _mrrow _of laughter. "Seriously? No offense, Echoflight, you're a great friend but-"

"I know. You moon over Cinderheart constantly," I teased. Lionblaze's smile disappeared.

"How did you know?" he stammered.

I shrugged. "Any blind cat can tell, Lionblaze. You're _obviously_ in love with her. Not like I don't see it, after all, she is really pretty."

Lionblaze flattened his ears to his head. He turned away. "Shut up…" he mumbled.

I let out a _mrrow _of laughter.

A mottled tortoiseshell hissed. "Can you two newcomers shut up?" he snarled. "Or do I have to make you?"

Lionblaze immediately turned on him. "I'd like to see you try!" he taunted.

The tortoiseshell's gaze narrowed but didn't say anything as he scoffed, turning away as he rested his head against his paws. I yawned, tired myself, although the thoughts of the Gathering came racing back to my mind.

"How are we going to get out of here?" I asked Lionblaze as we layed down. We were squished together, though, and the cage's metal bars were not comfortable to lean against. Even though there was a purple blanket underneath us, it was thin, and I could still feel the bars.

When I opened my eyes again I was surrounded by mist. I frowned. _Where am I?_

"Echoflight," I heard a voice say, faintly. I swerved. _Who was that?_

"You'd think a twoleg like you would have more wit," the voice said again, this time clearer than before. I turned around once again to see Rock. The tom cat was sitting in front of me, his tail curled neatly over my paws as he watched me, his blind eyes bulging out of his skull.

I frowned. "Rock?"

Rock sighed. "Don't lose hope so soon, twoleg," he meowed. "Believe in yourself."

"But-" I began to protest only to be stopped by Rock again.

"StarClan has not abandoned you yet."


	25. I ain't no kittypet

**Chapter 25: I ain't no kittypet**

_******Happy july fourth of day everyone! Don't get too drunk and don't explode your houses with fireworks - that would be bad. And thanks again for reading! Don't forget to leave a review and I hope you have an awesome independence day! Smileyface and heartsign.**_

_**(Hollyleaf's POV)**_

"What are we going to do?" Dovepaw whispered. We had been hiding away from the twoleg behind some bushes. Finally when we heard her leave we finally made our appearance. I glanced towards Jayfeather. He was quiet.

"I… I don't know."

Dovepaw let out a whimper. "Echoflight wanted us to go back… We should have instead of arguing with her…"

I stared at the ground. Dovepaw was right. _Why didn't I listen to her? Now Echoflight and Lionblaze are trapped in that twoleg place and it's my fault… I was the one who kept saying we should run away… I was just so scared…_

"What are we going to do?" Dovepaw repeated. "Are we going to wait here."

"Dovepaw," Jayfeather finally meowed. "Can you try and look into that twoleg place? Try and see what's going on?"

Dovepaw nodded, shaking. "Y-Yeah." She shut her eyes. I assumed she was looking into the huge twoleg place.

The apprentice let out a sudden gasp. "Th-There's other cats in there! And all different animals… And they're stuck in these kind of… blockage. Trapped, almost."

Jayfeather nodded. "What else?"

"I see them! They're in the same thing that's trapping all the other animals… But they're sleeping. I don't think the twoleg harmed them." Dovepaw opened her eyes, turning to face Jayfeather. "How are we going to get them out of there?"

Jayfeather shook his head. "We won't… not right now.

"Excuse me?" I gaped at him. "You're kidding me, right? Our brother is in there! And my best friend. We are going to get them out of there."  
"I never said we weren't," Jayfeather snapped. "We just need to think through it. Dovepaw said that they were trapped in stuff. Well obviously that stuff is going to prevent us from getting them out."

I let out a groan. "We should have just headed back to the island when Echoflight said so… we never should have left! I knew her protesting meant something… But…" My voice trailed off. I didn't want Jayfeather to know I was scared.

Jayfeather let out a sigh. "I know. We were all scared, Hollyleaf," he added. My eyes narrowed. _He needs to stop using his power when I least expect it._

"Are we going to wait here?" Dovepaw asked.

I nodded. "It's the least we can do. If Jayfeather says we need to wait, we should wait." I glanced back towards the twoleg place. _I just hope we can get them out of there in time… _

Before anyone else had a chance to say something, the bushes near us rustled. My fur stood on end as I got in front of Dovepaw.

"Wh-Who's there?" I demanded, wishing that my voice wasn't as shaky as it sounded.

The bushes rustled some more until the familiar cream-colored she-cat appeared; Mistyshadow.

"Why are _you_ here?" Jayfeather hissed. He must have recognized her scent. I looked towards him. His fur was standing on end and he looked tense - his claws were unsheathed.

Mistyshadow bent her head. "I'm sorry…"

"Why? Because you're on the Dark Forest's side? Because you ignored Echoflight when she told you to stay away? And then you go ahead and join them and attack the cats at the Gathering?"

Mistyshadow sighed. "That was Tigerstar's idea to scare you off… and it worked."

"Because they _tortured_ Ivypaw!" Jayfeather snarled. "I'm not in the mood for your excuses, Mistyshadow. If any ThunderClan cat is _dead_ because of you-"

"No one is dead!" Mistyshadow snapped, her dark blue eyes blazing. "I told you he did that to scare _you _Five. Not to kill anyone… yet."

That didn't necessarily reassure me. And I could tell it didn't reassure Jayfeather. Even though his eyes were blind I could still see the fiery anger flashing within them.

"Well you obviously didn't come here to apologize so get on with it." Jayfeather huffed.

I shouldered my brother away. "That's enough, Jayfeather." I glared at him. He scoffed but finally stopped snapping at the poor she-cat. I turned to Mistyshadow, my gaze wary. She _had_ joined the Dark Forest when they called all their warriors.

"Why did you join them?" I questioned.

"I-" Mistyshadow stammered. "I wanted to be like Echoflight…"

"_Echoflight _doesn't train with the Dark Forest," Jayfeather snarled. I nudged him again.

"Hush." I glanced back towards Mistyshadow. "Why did you think the Dark Forest would help solve that?"

Mistyshadow was quivering. "H-Hawkfrost… he said I could be loved and 'special' like she is… And I wanted that. More than anything… I'm like Echoflight, too," she added.

I frowned. "What do you mean…?"

"I… I was a twoleg like her too."

My eyes widened but I wasn't necessarily surprised. She did seem similar to Echoflight - sometimes she would say things that didn't make sense, and I assumed that was just a thing she learned from being a loner. But I guess it made more sense if you thought about it - which was why Echoflight always paid so much attention to her.

"I… I just wanted to come here to tell you it's okay for you to come back…" her voice trailed off.

I exchanged a glance with Dovepaw.

"How are you sure?" the pale she-cat spoke up. Her green eyes were wary as she looked at Mistyshadow. "I don't know if we can trust you… Tigerstar told _everyone _about our powers…"

Mistyshadow sighed, getting annoyed. "If you're so worried about going back why don't you use your stupid powers and see if everyone's alright?" Before any of us had a chance to say anything to her, she turned around, bounding off back to the forest.

I sighed, glancing at Dovepaw. "Maybe you should…" Dovepaw met my gaze then let out a sigh. She shut her eyes and was quiet for a moment before reporting, "She's right… No cat is dead. Just really bad injuries… Ooh, poor Thornclaw. That _has_ to hurt."

"Where's Firestar?" Jayfeather asked her.

"H-He's with Brambleclaw. They both look pretty beaten up."

Jayfeather sighed. 'That's enough then. She was telling the truth. Are there any Dark Forest cats still there?"

Dovepaw paused then shook her head. "No… some of the Clan cats who were with the Dark Forest aren't there either… I don't see Sunstrike… or Breezep-" She stopped.

"Dovepaw?" I questioned. "What's the matter?"

"N-Nevermind… Breezepelt's there… He's addressing Firestar… I can't really hear what they're talking about… It hurts if I go too far."

"Don't strain yourself then," Jayfeather meowed briskly. "You can stop now…" Dovepaw nodded, opening her eyes.

I exchanged a glance with her, then looked at Jayfeather. "What does Breezepelt want with Firestar?"

Jayfeather shook his head, sighing. "I don't know… But I doubt it's something good," he added grimly. He glanced back towards the twoleg place. "If anything we need to get Lionblaze and Echoflight out of there… and fast."

_**(Echoflight's POV)**_

"Rise and shine!" called the same twoleg from last night. I blinked open my eyes, yawning. I stretched, my back legs ramming into Lionblaze. "Oh, sorry!" I exclaimed as the golden tabby opened his eyes, annoyed.

"Where's that new 'cage' you said she ordered?" he grumbled, getting up. I shook my head.

"I don't know. I said she barely ordered it. It probably won't come in a few days or so."

Lionblaze groaned. "I can't stand this," he meowed. "It's only been one night and I feel like ripping out all my fur." He kicked at the bars and they made a clunking noise. "They won't break free and we're stuck in here."

"Lionblaze, calm down." I sighed. "We're going to get out of here. We just need to wait."

"I'm sick of waiting…" Lionblaze grumbled but didn't protest as we waited for the owner to open the cage. She refilled the water dish. She frowned when she noticed the food dish was untouched. She let out a sigh.

"I wouldn't really like this either," she said. "But you have to eat it if you want to be healthy enough to get adopted."

_That's the thing, lady,_ I thought when she closed the cage. Her helper who was named 'Alice' was going around tending to the birds and iguanas. _We don't _want _to get adopted. And no offense but this food obviously does not contain real meat. It's processed._

Lionblaze brushed against me as he attempted to look around the store. His eyes widened when the door opened and the bell jingled. I stepped back, anxiety flowing through me. It was a family with two kits - a teenage boy and girl. They were looking around the petshop. Thankfully they were distracted by the birds. As the parents moved away from the door I spotted through the window three familiar faces.

"Jayfeather!" I gasped. Lionblaze turned his head. "Where?"

I nodded my head to the door. "There!"

Lionblaze's amber eyes brightened. "It's Jay! And Hollyleaf… and Dovepaw too! Thank StarClan…"

I frowned. "How are they going to get us out?"

Before they had a chance to look at us the girl with the family stepped in front of our cage. I backed away along with Lionblaze. She peered in at us.

"Why are there two cats in here?" she called over her shoulder. Her blond hair was tied up in a ponytail. When she turned back to us there were freckles sprinkled across her face and her eyes were blue. She had a lot of makeup on. She was probably 14.

"Oh, they're new here," the owner said, walking over. "Did you want one of them?"

The girl looked back at us. "Which one's a girl?"

"What's she saying?" Lionblaze hissed.

"She wants to buy one of us!" I was horrified. _I'm not going to become a kittypet! No way. And this girl doesn't seem like the 'friendly-animal person' you'd want to be adopted by._

"The pretty dark brown tabby," the owner said, smiling.

The girl stared at me. "What's with her arrow-head marking?" she asked. "Is it paint? It looks stupid."

I glared at her. _To be honest your nose is too big for your face… You look stupid, bitch._

"It's not paint. I think she was born with it. I think it's kind of cool." The owner smiled. The girl didn't look impressed.

"Julia, are you done annoying the animals?" the teenage boy called. He made his way over. His hair was a darker shade of blond and his eyes were the same blue as Julia's. He was taller and had freckles as well.

_At least _he _doesn't have a big nose…_ I thought.

He looked at me and his eyes widened. "Whoa! Is that really her markings?" he asked, referring to the white arrow-head on my forehead. I had noticed it when I first looked in the lake when I was turned into a cat and I thought it was interesting… Of course it reminded me of the Avatar, but still. It was cool.

"Yeah. Do you want to hold her?" the owner asked. The boy nodded and I stepped back further into Lionblaze, squishing him against the farther end of the cage.

"Ow! Echoflight!" Lionblaze exclaimed, his voice muffled. I glanced back at him.

"Lionblaze they're going to-" I was cut off as the owner took me out. I let out a yelp of alarm as she handed me to the boy.

His hands were gentler than I expected and he turned me to face him. "Whoa… She looks way cool." He stroked my head. I glanced back at Lionblaze who was staring in awe.

Julia had seen Lionblaze finally. "Who's he?" she asked.

"Oh… I found him with her." The owner picked him up as well. He let out a yowl of protest. The owner pet him and he continued to fuss. I sent him a harsh look. If I was going to get adopted, he's coming with me.

Lionblaze met my gaze then let out a sigh. The owner handed him to the girl.

"He's heavy…" she huffed, attempting to hold him like the owner did.

Thankfully, Lionblaze didn't struggle in her grip. He glanced back at me, as if begging me to help him. I gave him a look as the boy scratched my ears.

Their parents made their ways over. The father frowned. "Two cats?"

The mother sighed. "Well… it's better than getting a pet snake…" She glanced back towards the glass cage where the slithering serpent was kept. I shuddered as well.

The father made his way over the son holding me. "Whoa… nifty marking," he commented, rubbing it as if he thought it'd come off my face. I let out a hiss, ducking out of his rough hands.

The boy angled his body so his father couldn't touch me. "Don't do that! That hurt her…"

The father let out a laugh. "To be honest, Aiden, I didn't expect _you _to be the cat lover." He glanced towards Julia. "Your sister looks a little more hesitant even though she loves cats."

"I'm not! He's just really heavy!"

I tried not to laugh but my expression gave me away. Lionblaze stared at me.

"What's she saying?" he asked.

"She said you're fat."

Lionblaze's eyes widened and he turned to glare at the girl. "Well her face is weird," Lionblaze insulted.

I let out a _mrrow _of amusement. The owner laughed.

"It's like they're talking to each other," the mother commented.

"We have to get them both." Aiden was facing his father yet again. "Please Dad?"

His father wiped his tired looking face, turning to exchange a glance with their mother. She shrugged. "I think they're pretty cute," she said, scratching Lionblaze behind the ears.

The father looked to the owner. "How much?" he asked, taking out his wallet. The two kids cheered. As the father went up with the owner to the cash register, the mother stayed behind with us and the kids.

"What are you going to name him?" she asked Julia. Julia frowned.

"I wanted the girl cat but she looks kind of stupid." She sighed.

I glared at her. Aiden was also giving her a dirty look as he said, "it's not stupid. Obviously you don't like things that are different."

"Maybe that's why I don't like you." She countered, glaring at her brother. The two continued to have a stare-down as I exchanged a look with Lionblaze. The golden tabby let out a sigh of exasperation.

Their mother laughed. "I think your arguing is going too far now… Even the cats seem to understand what you're saying."

Aiden turned me so I was facing him again. He stared into my eyes.

It was kind of creepy so I tried to look away.

"I'm going to Google some cool cat names," he said. "She needs a cool one."

Julia huffed but didn't disagree to the idea of naming us at home.

Once the father came back to us with two collars my eyes widened in terror. They're going to put collars on us?

"Ooh!" Julia exclaimed, reaching for the pink one. Lionblaze's eyes widened in horror then filled with relief when her father pulled them away.

"Not now, Julia. We need to get our address and names printed on them first. I'll give them to you tomorrow once you have a name picked out."

Julia grumbled but didn't argue as they lead us out of the pet shop. I looked around quickly for Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Dovepaw. _There! _They were behind the bush. I struggled as Aiden turned the corner with his parents heading for the parking lot. I stood up, climbing over his shoulder.

"Jayfeather!" I called. Immediately the gray tabby turned his head.

"Echoflight!"

"Echoflight! Lionblaze!" Hollyleaf exclaimed her green eyes wide.

"Where are they going?" Dovepaw asked, her voice shaking.

Aiden noticed me standing on his shoulder as he pulled me down. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking at me. I tried to see past his head but to no avail.

"Told you she's weird…" Julia grumbled, handing Lionblaze to her father. She climbed into the backseat. Her father exchanged a glance with the mother then looked back at Lionblaze.

"Don't worry," he said to him. "She's a good owner."

Lionblaze's amber eyes stared back at him in puzzlement. He glanced back at me but didn't have a chance to say anything as the father handed him back to Julia. She took him, half-heartedly.

Aiden scratched my ears again before climbing into the car next to his sister. Setting me in the middle chair he put his seatbelt on. Lionblaze jumped off of Julia and sat next to me.

"What are we going to do?" he murmured, leaning in towards me.

I sighed. "I have no clue…"

Julia groaned, taking out her phone. "When will they start shutting up?" she complained, taking out headphones. I glared at the brat. With a careful swipe I took the headphones out of her hands. They fell to the floor of the car.

"Hey!" She snapped, then turned to glare at me. She then looked at Aiden who was laughing. "Tell your cat to leave me alone."

Aiden smirked. "I knew I liked her." He ran his hand down my head to my back. I squirmed underneath the touch as I leaned in closer to Lionblaze. The golden tabby was looking around the car.

"Where are we?" he asked as the father turned the key in the ignition and started the engine. Lionblaze jumped, his question answered. "We're in a monster?" he exclaimed, looking around frantically. Julia stared at her cat in confusion.

"Lionblaze," I meowed, nudging him. He stopped turning to face me. "Calm down. It's not going to kill us."

"But we're _inside _it!"

I sighed. How was I going to explain this to him? "Um… yeah. But this is a twoleg's way of getting around. It's not alive," I added when he still looked wary.

"But why does it-"

"It doesn't mean to run over cats," I explained. "The twoleg driving," I nodded to Julia and Aiden's father, "just can't see the cat when it's on the road."

Lionblaze frowned.

"The road is a Thunderpath."

Lionblaze nodded, then let out an exasperated sigh. "How are Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and Dovepaw going to find us now?"

I shook my head, worry washing over me in waves. "I… I don't know…" I glanced towards Aiden. He was texting someone. I craned my neck, attempting to read what he was writing. He noticed me watching then laughed.

"It's a phone," he said, waving it in front of me. I gave him a look. _I know what it is._

"I'm texting my friend, Josh," he added. Julia snorted.

"She can't understand what you're saying."

Aiden glared at her. "Maybe she can."

I heard their mother sigh exasperatedly at their fighting again. Taking this as an opportunity I looked at his phone. The text message was basically telling his friend they got new cats.

His friend responded as the phone vibrated. Lionblaze jumped at the sudden noise.

_That's way chill man. I would have wanted a dog though._

Aiden texted back saying he did too, but the cat he got was way cool. I smiled, proud that he liked my arrow-head marking. I glanced towards Lionblaze who was staring at the floor of the car.

I nudged him. "Hey… we'll get out of this."

Lionblaze sighed. "Are you sure?" he asked, jumping as we hit a bump in the road. He glanced back towards me. All his fur was on end and his claws were unsheathed. I could tell he wanted to dig them into the leather of the car seats.

"Don't," I warned. "They'll get mad."

Lionblaze sighed again, sheathing his claws. "I just… I keep worrying about the Gathering…"

I nodded. "I know… I'm worried too…" _But Rock said StarClan is still watching over me… Could it be they haven't lost faith in themselves yet? _The car skidded to a stop in front of a house. It was bigger than what I expected it to be. As Aiden picked me up he led me to the front door. Julia was letting Lionblaze walk as she was texting someone.

Aiden unlocked the door and set me down. "I'll be back," he said, running up the stairs. Probably going to Google some cat names. I sighed as I exchanged a look with Lionblaze. Looking over his shoulder I spotted our friends. My eyes widened. _They followed us all the way here? _They ran behind one of the trees, peering out over it. I ran towards the door but the father shut it before I could escape to them. I skidded to a halt, looking up at him.

"Sorry, cat," he said, rubbing my ears. "But you can't go out until you have a collar on." He called up to Aiden. "Aiden, hurry up and Google those cat names. I'm going to get them printed on the collars today."

"Okay!"

I looked at Lionblaze. He was looking around the house. "How are we going to get out of here?" he asked.

I sighed. "I don't know."

Lionblaze smirked. "That's a first… considering you always seem to know everything."

I scoffed. "Gee, thanks."

"It was a compliment."

"No it wasn't."

"Yeah, I guess not."

Following him into the living room, I jumped up onto the couch, looking out through the window above it. I could see the tree where Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Dovepaw had hidden behind. They had come out and were now looking around. Dovepaw was the first to spot me through the window. She bounded up towards me. Her mouth was moving but I could hear what she was saying.

I shook my head. She frowned then glanced towards Jayfeather. He looked at us.

_Help us…_

I glanced towards Lionblaze who was standing up next to me. He was staring at his brother, sister and apprentice with worry in his amber eyes. I glanced back towards them. Jayfeather was saying something to them.

A feeling rushed through me as Jayfeather glanced back towards us. Even though he was blind, it was almost as if he knew where we were. Glancing back towards the others they shot us another look before running away from the house and back towards the forest.

_They're going to get help! _I looked back at Lionblaze.

"Looks like we're getting out of here," he meowed. I nodded.

"Hopefully before they make those collars," I added.

Lionblaze made a face as we jumped off of the couch. "I don't want to wear that kittypet collar! I'm not a kittypet!"

I smirked. "You'd probably look funny with one. You're probably too fat to have it fit you anyway," I joked.

Lionblaze's amber eyes narrowed. "I am _not_ fat. That bitch just doesn't know how to spot a good cat when she sees one."

My eyes widened. "Where did you learn that word?"

"From you."

I let out a _mrrow_ of laughter but my mind kept wandering towards the Gathering. Everyone has to be okay… They have to be! Lionblaze noticed my change of mood and brushed up against me reassuringly.

"It'll be alright," he meowed. "Jayfeather's going to help us."

"I-I know…" I stammered. "It's just… What about the Gathering? Is there even help _left?"_

Lionblaze's amber gaze faltered as he rubbed his muzzle against mine. "I have a feeling that we're going to get out of here. After all… we have the stars in our paws, don't we?"

I nodded although I couldn't help but feel something else was going to happen. The Dark Forest cats attacked there for a reason… and I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen even after this. Glancing over my shoulder I willed for Jayfeather and the others to hurry.

_It's going to be okay… _I attempted to reassure myself. _I know it… _But the evil glimmer in Tigerstar's amber eyes was telling me otherwise.


	26. Kittypet collars and Clan cat rescues

**Chapter 26: Kittypet collars and Clan cat rescues**

Lionblaze was thrashing violently. Aiden and Julia had finally Googled some kittypet names and had gotten their father to get the tags finished. Lionblaze, however, was attempting to be released from Julia's grip, but she wouldn't allow that.

"Just put on the stupid collar!" she exclaimed, attempting to fix the green fabric around his neck. Lionblaze yowled as he attempted to fight back without his claws unsheathed.

I was just watching the epidemic. Aiden was gentler than Julia was - he wasn't grabbing me around the middle and yanking the fabric onto my neck like a mad person. He held up the collar, as if waiting for me to approve. I glanced back towards Lionblaze. He had finally given up in a hissing fit and allowed Julia to slip the collar around his neck.

"God…" she groaned, tightening it around his neck. Lionblaze hacked. Julia rolled her eyes, obviously not caring.

I narrowed my eyes. She _was the one who wanted a cat? _

Lionblaze's collar read 'Felix' in black lettering. I smirked. _Felix? Really?_

"Alright," Aiden said, turning me around as he slipped the collar over my face. He tightened it slightly, making sure it wouldn't choke me, as he pet my head. "Do you like it, Indie?"

I shrugged. The collar's fabric clung annoyingly to my neck but I could get over it. I glanced towards Lionblaze, who looked horrified at the sight of us wearing collars. I bounded over towards the window, getting up on the couch.

"Your cat's really dumb," Julia muttered already doing something on her phone.

"Shut up, Julia. You're just upset you didn't get a girl cat." Julia snorted although didn't deny what Aiden said. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to look over my shoulder at their bickering. I couldn't see any Clan cats anywhere. I let out an exasperated sigh.

_They're going to have heart attacks when they see these collars around our necks,_ I thought as I bounded towards Lionblaze. He was sitting on the floor, his fur still fluffed up from the epidemic he had faced with Julia. I smirked.

"Looking good, _Felix."_

Lionblaze frowned, then looked down at his collar. "Is that what they named me?" he asked.

I nodded. "I'm Indie, if it makes you feel any better."

Lionblaze snorted. "Indie is better than Felix. Twoleg names sound so weird."

I shrugged, glancing over my shoulder back at the window. It was getting darker outside, and the longer Jayfeather and the others took, the longer Lionblaze and I would have to stay here as kittypets.

_**(Jayfeather's POV)**_

I could feel Firestar's questioning gaze burning into me.

"You are telling me that… you're the Three?" he asked.

I felt Hollyleaf bristle from next to me. "N-No… Well, not me."

Firestar sighed. "I should have known…" His voice trailed off before he added, "Where's Echoflight?"

"Echoflight and Lionblaze have been captured by twolegs," I meowed. "We followed them to the house but we don't remember the way any more."

I heard rustling as another cat joined in on our conversation. "We have to get them back."

Breezepelt.

My hackles raised instantly. I turned on the tom. "Why do you care? This is ThunderClan business."

Hollyleaf brushed next to me, telling me to calm down. I ignored her, waiting for Breezepelt's answer.

"Because you really don't have many cats fit enough to go save them, do you?"

I narrowed my eyes, digging my claws into the earth underneath me. Although he was right, I didn't want to admit it. I could tell Echoflight was scared of him - and I'm certain she wouldn't want to see _Breezepelt _amongst our patrol to come rescue them.

"Breezepelt," Firestar meowed. "Are you sure you're alright with joining us?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay with it… I can get some more warriors to join if you have no one else." He paused before adding, "which you kind of don't."

Firestar sighed again. "Fine then. Go and find some warriors willing to join us."

Breezepelt scampered off. I scoffed, turning my head away. Even though I couldn't _see _him, I couldn't stand the thought of him. Hollyleaf sighed beside me.

"Jayfeather, what's gotten into you?" she muttered. "You've been in a bad mood since Lionblaze and Echoflight got captured."

I bristled. "I just don't want Breezepelt to join us."

"Why?" Dovepaw asked.

"I don't trust him…" I muttered. I had a feeling he wanted more out of this than just lending ThunderClan some help to get two of our Clanmates back. There was something he wanted out of this, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was.

And I honestly didn't want to find out.

Breezepelt came back with a few more cats. Two of them. I sniffed the air, recognizing their scents; Crowfeather and Heathertail.

_Lionblaze is going to be _thrilled _when he sees her,_ I thought sarcastically as Firestar rounded up the patrol. Nodding to us, we bounded out of the island and to the abandoned twoleg place.

Firestar was running beside me. "So… the Dark Forest attacked last night so they could scare you five off?" he asked.

I shrugged. "That's what we've been told."

"Oh? And who told you?"

Should I really tell him every cat that was in the Dark Forest? I could if I wanted to. Name off every single cat. Firestar noticed my silence but didn't pry the conversation any further as we continued to run.

Hollyleaf suddenly skidded to a stop in front of me. "No… This doesn't look familiar at all!"

"Are you sure?" Breezepelt asked.

"Why are we even looking around if you don't remember where they are?" Crowfeather muttered. I turned on him.

"My _brother _is out there." I bristled.

"Sorry, I didn't know." Crowfeather responded although sarcasm was obvious in his tone.

Before any other cat could suggest something, a new scent bounded towards us. I didn't recognize it.

"Looking for your friends?" she asked.

"Who are you?" Breezepelt demanded.

"Sasha," the she-cat responded. "Now answer my question. You want to find your friends or not?"

Firestar stepped forward. "You know where they are?"

"Maybe," she responded. I could feel my temper rising.

"Can you tell us?" Breezepelt snapped, feeling the same way I was about this.

The she-cat sighed. "I know that Tigerstar planned all of this," she started. "And I know that you're against everything he believes. But…" She hesitated. "I will help you. A family had bought your friends - they live a little bit down north. Head straight down, take a left at the curve, head farther down then turn right. You'll see a large house. That's where the family lives. Good luck," she added, beginning to head off.

"House?" Heathertail echoed.

The she-cat stopped. "It's what you Clan cats call a 'twoleg place'."

"Thank you…" Firestar's voice trailed off realizing we didn't know her name.

"Sasha."

My eyes widened slightly. _Sasha? Wasn't she Tigerstar's mate once?_

"Thank you, Sasha." From Firestar's tone I could tell he knew who she was. I heard the sound of Sasha's pawsteps start before they stopped once more.

"I wish you would have been able to see the good in him." Him? _Is she talking about Tigerstar? _Before any cat had a chance to react, Sasha was gone.

_**(Echoflight's POV)**_

"So… where's that patrol?" Lionblaze asked. Aiden and Julia had been called to dinner. Aiden left a food bowl and water bowl for us but I wasn't keen on eating cat food and drinking tap water.

I sighed. "Coming… I know it."

Lionblaze shrugged. "I hope so. This collar is really-" He stopped mid sentence, reaching up to scratch his neck with his hind leg. "I can't stand it! How did Firestar deal with this?"

I held back a _mrrow _of amusement. "That's why he went to live in the Clans."

Lionblaze didn't respond as he continued to scratch at the collar. He hissed angrily. "The more I scratch at it the more it itches," he complained.

"Then don't scratch it."

Lionblaze glared at me but didn't say anything as he lowered his leg. "I can't stand this…" he muttered. "We're trapped inside this… this…" His voice trailed off, as if trying to find the right word to describe it.

"House?" I suggested.

Lionblaze stared at me. "What's a 'house'?"

I sighed. "Twoleg place."

"Oh…" Lionblaze nodded, showing he understood. I glanced back towards the dining room. Aiden's parents were talking to Julia about her grades, to which she complained school was getting tougher and her math teacher was really unfair. I rolled my eyes. _I sucked at math too… Just get a damn tutor, stupid rich girl._

Hearing scratching at the door, I glanced towards Lionblaze. Nodding to me we bounded to the front door. Thankfully, Julia's parents were too engrossed with the conversation about her studying more to notice. I groaned, wishing that they had installed a little animal door - but since they don't own a dog, that's out of the picture.

"Do you think it's them?" asked Lionblaze. I nodded.

"Those were cats scratching, for sure." I bounded towards the living room, jumping up on the couch. Peering out the window through the dim lighting I could spot Firestar's familiar pelt. I pawed at the door but they wouldn't turn around.

_God damnit! Turn around, stupid cats! _I thought, getting angry. I pounded at the window louder.

"Aiden! Tell your cat to get off the couch!" Aiden's mother snapped. Aiden sighed, getting up from the table and walking over to me. Picking me off the couch, he set me back down.

"Don't do that, okay?" he said, petting my head before walking back to his dinner. I sighed, exchanging a glance with Lionblaze. Once they started talking again, I jumped back up.

Thankfully, Crowfeather was the closest and had noticed me.

_Wait. Crowfeather? _

Bounding towards the window, the rest of the rescue patrol showed their faces. Firestar, Jayfeather, Dovepaw, Hollyleaf, Heathertail, Crowfeather and Breezepelt. My eyes narrowed. _Breezepelt?_

The window was open ajar, but it was too small for Lionblaze and I to squeeze through.

"Echoflight!" Firestar exclaimed. "Don't worry, we're going to get you and Lionblaze out of there!"

"How, exactly?" Crowfeather questioned. "They can't fit through that." He nodded his head towards the window. "And I doubt that the twolegs will let them out any time soon."

"We'll find a way," Breezepelt and Jayfeather snapped in unison. The two looked at each other, then scoffed, turning away in the opposite direction. Dovepaw sighed, glancing back to us.

"Is there another way for you two to get out?" she asked.

I shook my head. "All the doors are locked."

Crowfeather frowned. "Doors?"

"Those big things… You know the thing you scratched at earlier." I responded, getting upset. They were hear but they couldn't help us.

"Maybe we could get one of them to open the door," Lionblaze suggested. I glanced at him.  
"Like how? Whine about needing to use the litter box they don't have?"

Lionblaze frowned, confused by the word 'litter box', but Firestar nodded his head in agreement. "That's a great idea." He exchanged glances with the rest of the patrol.

"If they chase after you we'll be here to distract them," Hollyleaf put in. I nodded, exchanging a glance with Lionblaze.

"So… who's going to be the one to pretend they need to…?" My voice trailed off when Lionblaze looked at me expectantly.

I shook my head. "Oh… no… no, no, no, no, no! Lionblaze, I am _not_ going to pretend-"

Lionblaze smirked. "Come on… your twoleg is more considerate than mine."

I sighed. He had a point. Julia probably would let Lionblaze wet himself before getting up to open the door. I glanced back towards the Clan cats. Firestar nodded to me. I glanced back towards Lionblaze. "Wait here," I meowed. "But once you hear us get to the door, _run."_

Lionblaze nodded in agreement as I bounded towards the dining table. Aiden glanced down when I pawed at his leg. I let out a helpless mew. He frowned at me. "What's wrong, Indie?" he asked, bending down. I mewed again.

_How the hell am I supposed to make look like I need to pee as a cat? Should I pace?_ I started to walk in circles, mewing helplessly. Aiden frowned, then realization dawned on him. "Oh! We don't have a litter box yet…" He glanced towards his dad.

He shook his head. "Just take her outside."

Nodding, Aiden picked me up, walking towards the door. He set me down in front of it, opening it. Immediately, Lionblaze raced past us and to the tree everyone else was hiding behind. Catching on to our escape plan, Aiden picked me up before I could make a run for it.

I yowled, thrashing about in his arms. The rest of the family came forward, noticing Aiden was struggling. I hissed and spat.

"Indie, what's the matter?" Aiden exclaimed, struggling to hold me. I shut my eyes.

_Why am I always in these situations? _I felt bad leaving Aiden - he was a good kid - but I didn't want to be a kittypet. I belonged with the Clans. His father sighed, setting a hand on Aiden.

"Aiden… do you see them?" he asked.

"Huh?" Aiden looked up, seeing the Clan cats starting to appear behind the tree. Crowfeather was in a battle crouch, getting ready to attack him.

"Crowfeather, don't!" I exclaimed. The dark gray tom stopped, his blue eyes looking up at me.

Aiden looked back at me, turning me to face him. He looked into my eyes. "I guess you already have a home…" Setting me down, he pet my head once more. Before I could escape, he undid the collar. I slipped off of it, bounding after my Clanmates. Before we could escape, I glanced back towards them.

Aiden smiled, waving. I returned the smile, my amber eyes gleaming. _Sorry it didn't work out, Aiden… But you can find another cat to adopt… It'd be weird if I accidentally turned back into a twoleg in your home._ I looked back to my Clanmates.

"What I'm upset about," Aiden's father said as we started to run, "is that we wasted that money on those collars."

I smirked, running as we pelted into the forest. Lionblaze skidded to a stop in sudden realization.

"What's wrong?" Hollyleaf asked.

Lionblaze looked down at his collar. "I still have this!"

Breezepelt snorted. Crowfeather sighed, stepping forward, unsheathing his claws as he cut away at the thin fabric. The collar slipped off Lionblaze and fell to the ground. He glanced back at the short-tempered WindClan tom.

"Th-Thanks…"

Crowfeather shrugged, mumbling something as we started running again. Lionblaze sighed. "Free…" he murmured.

"Yeah…" I responded. To brighten the mood, I added, "That was easier than I expected."

The patrol glanced back at me. Jayfeather mumbled his agreement while Breezepelt's amber gaze rested on me. I tried to ignore it, the image of Breezepelt standing over my dead body flashing in my mind.

_Dangerous…_

I glanced back towards Jayfeather. He was running alongside Firestar and Lionblaze. Dovepaw and Hollyleaf were next to me while Breezepelt, Crowfeather, and Heathertail were a little ways ahead of us.

_For some reason I feel like this isn't going to be the last time we'll need their help._ With the Dark Forest showing how strong they are, I really had to hope that Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Dovepaw really do have the stars in their paws.

_**a/n: And that's the end to the first book of I'm a Clan Cat. I'm still debating whether or not to separate each book or combine them all together in this one… I most likely will keep them separate (I'm going to use the same cover so you know it's all in one series) so there won't be any confusion with the different parts. But thank you so so much for reading and I really hope you enjoyed the first 'book'. The second one will be out today or tomorrow (depending on the time I have). Don't forget to review and stay classy and a lil' bit sassy. Smileyface and heartsign and kittyface.**_


	27. Free-falling

**Chapter 1: Free-falling **

_**Hello once again everyone. Soo… I've decided not to divide the story up into two books and keep it all together so it's less confusing. And yeah. Check out my other stories if you want, and don't forget to review! Sorry if anything is confusing at all... I sometimes tend to mess up the timelines. Smileyface nonetheless. **_

We parted ways, heading back to camp. Firestar had told Lionblaze and I that the Dark Forest wasn't meaning to 'hurt' anyone yet, but was doing this to scare us off. I didn't understand the motives of that, but I didn't disagree as we bounded back into the hollow.

Everyone was gathered in the clearing while Leafpool was attempting to help apply poultice on the wounds. She looked up when we entered the camp, her amber gaze filled with relief.

Immediately all of ThunderClan turned their gazes to Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Dovepaw, Lionblaze and myself. I felt my ears flatten to my head at their harsh looks. Honeyfern was the first to bound towards me, her belly swollen with kits as she brushed her muzzle against mine.

"Oh, Echoflight! You're safe! We were so worried about you."

I nodded but I was wondering what she meant by 'we'. It didn't look like the rest of the Clan was as happy to see us. It was almost as if they were casting us 'dirty looks'. I didn't like the feeling and I looked away awkwardly.

Thornclaw was the second to step forward. His golden brown fur was coated with blood but there were no serious injuries beside him limping. His amber gaze met mine, then softened slightly. "At least your safe…"

Mistyshadow bounded up to me immediately, her dark blue eyes flashing. "Echoflight… I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I… I didn't know that-"

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. As long as everyone is safe…" My voice trailed off at seeing Brambleclaw. He exchanged a look with Firestar before mewing, "I need to talk to you."

I nodded, following him as he lead me up to Firestar's den, Firestar trailing behind us. The Clan leader followed us in and I sat down, worry seeping through me.

"What is it?" I asked.

Firestar sighed, exchanging a look with Brambleclaw. "Echoflight… you do know you can tell us anything."

I frowned, puzzled. _Do they want me to tell them I'm a twoleg? But what if they don't believe it? They might kick me out of the Clan…_

"Were you really a loner before you joined the Clans?" Brambleclaw asked, answering my question. "Or were you… something else?"

I sighed, knowing there was no way out of it. "Only Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Hollyleaf know…" I murmured.

"Then you can tell us." Firestar's green eyes were reassuring.

I hesitated once again. What if they think I'm weird? What if they think I'm a threat and cast me aside? I couldn't imagine a life out of the Clans… my life seemed to have gotten so much better since I joined… Minus all the stress I felt from trying to save everyone.

"I…" I stammered. "I was… um…"

Brambleclaw's amber gaze met mine. "It's okay, Echoflight. You can tell us."

I sighed. _There's no way out of this._ "I was a twoleg." I shut my eyes, bracing myself for them to react horribly. Silence followed my reply before Firestar let out a sigh.

"I was thinking you were a kittypet," his green eyes flashed. "But I guess hearing you were a twoleg…"

Brambleclaw's amber eyes were narrowed. "How are you a cat then?"

I shrugged. "I… I don't know actually. I just… woke up and I was a cat… And then I ran into Cloudtail's patrol… and from then on you know what happened."

Brambleclaw exchanged a look with Firestar. The leader glanced at his deputy, nodding him away. "I'll speak with her privately, now."

Brambleclaw nodded, dipping his head to the leader.

"Don't tell anyone about this, Brambleclaw," Firestar called after him as he headed out of the den. Brambleclaw nodded once more before disappearing behind the bramble curtain.

I glanced back towards Firestar. He sighed. "Jayfeather told me you know of the prophecy… and the future."

"Um… only a little bit of the future…"

Firestar frowned. "Well… That's understandable." He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Echoflight."

My heart dropped. _And this is the part where I get kicked out._

"I trust you - you were a wonderful apprentice even though I only taught you for a short time - and you seem to grasp a better understanding of the warrior code better than anyone," he continued, surprising me. "I cannot imagine how you must feel when your Clanmates glare at you, accusing you of abandoning them. If they knew of the prophecy…" His voice trailed off.

I dipped my head to the Clan leader. "I never wanted to run away…" I whispered. "Hollyleaf told me that… The Dark Forest tortured Ivypaw into telling them about our powers."

Firestar's ears pricked. "They know?"  
I nodded, gulping. "And they won't stop until they kill us… I know it."

Firestar sighed. I could tell the stress was excruciating for the Clan leader.

"Then I guess we're going to have to fight back." His green eyes glimmered as they met mine. I nodded, dipping my head to him once more. As he excused me, I bounded out of the den, my pelt ruffled.

_That could have gone better…_ I spotted Jayfeather tending to some wounds. _Isn't this the time where he heads back to the Tribe of Rushing Water?_ Before I had a chance to approach the medicine cat, Lionblaze was in front of me.

"Hey," he meowed.

I nodded to him. "Hello."

"So… are you in trouble?" he asked. "Are you kicked out of the Clans?"

I frowned. "No."

Lionblaze nodded, his amber eyes flashing. "Just making sure."

I sighed, then glanced back towards Jayfeather. "I need to talk you… all of you."

Lionblaze nodded. "I'll round up the Three." His amber eyes gleamed as he bounded off. I sighed, sitting down.

_I hope Jayfeather's already gotten the sign… then this will be awkward._

As Lionblaze came back with Dovepaw and Hollyleaf at his heels, I glanced back towards Jayfeather. Lionblaze must have told him as well for he was bounding towards us.

"Make it quick," he stated. "I need to get back to Icecloud, she has a nasty wound-" He stopped. "What's the matter anyway?"

I sighed. "I… I don't know what to do now."

Lionblaze frowned. "What do you mean? Can't you see into the future."

I groaned. _That's the problem! I haven't read the books telling your future yet! _"I-I only know couple of things into the future… I don't know what happens after Sig-" I stopped myself just in time. _Fox-dung!_

"After?" Hollyleaf pressed.

"After… Jayfeather receives a sign saying he has to go to the Tribe of Rushing Water."

"Sign?" Jayfeather meowed. "I haven't-" He broke off.

We all stared at him in silence.

"Now I have," he sighed, heading back up to Firestar's den. I exchanged a glance with Lionblaze, Hollyleaf and Dovepaw but followed him up the Highledge.

I shuffled my paws subconsciously at the dirty looks. Lionblaze noticed my insecurity as he brushed against me. "It's alright," he meowed. "They're just upset… And hurt."

_Because we're they're Clanmates and we abandoned them when they needed us! _I wanted to yowl, but Lionblaze was right. No one was killed so they would get over it sooner or later. I hoped for it to be sooner.

_Hedgehogs will fly when our Clanmates realize all the weird stuff we do is for their own good,_ I thought bitterly as we pushed past the brambles into Firestar's den. The leader looked up, shocked to see me again.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I've received a sign from the Tribe of Rushing Water," Jayfeather mewed. "I need to leave."

Firestar's green eyes widened. "Leave? But you're our medicine cat. We need you here, along with everyone else to prepare in case-"

"Firestar, _please," _I nearly begged. "It's for the prophecy!"

"You're going to abandon us again?" Firestar had barely muttered the sentence but I still heard it. It felt like a slash across the muzzle. I glanced towards Lionblaze and the others. They had their heads dipped to the leader. They must have heard it too.

I shook my head, speaking before Jayfeather had the chance to. "That's not it! I already told you I didn't want to-"

Firestar sighed. "I know… I'm just worried. A group of my best warriors and medicine cat leaving when we don't know when there will be another attack?"

I exchanged a glance with the Four gathered around me. He had a point.

Firestar was quiet, contemplating the idea for a moment before turning to Jayfeather. "You may go," he meowed, "but you'll need a few warriors to accompany you."

Lionblaze pricked his ears. "Am I going?" he asked.

Firestar shook his head. "I need you here." He glanced towards Dovepaw and Hollyleaf. "You two as well."

My whiskers twitched. "Am I going?"

Firestar nodded. _Great StarClan, why? I hate heights! _

"Foxleap will join you as well," Firestar added. "And Squirrelflight as well."

Jayfeather nodded although his whiskers twitched with slight annoyance _They still believe that Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight are still their parents, _I remembered. _Will I have to reveal that secret as well? _

"Come on," Lionblaze nodded to us. I dipped my head to Firestar.

"Thank you…" I murmured.

Firestar's green eyes flashed as we headed out of the den. I still felt like something bad was going to happen while we were at the mountains, but I willed myself not to think about it. I glanced to Jayfeather.

"Did they tell you to leave now?"

Jayfeather didn't look at me as he headed towards the medicine den. I followed. "What do you think?"

I was taken aback by his sharp tone. "Um… yes?"

Jayfeather sighed, taking out some traveling herbs. He shoved some towards me. "Eat those," he ordered. "Then take some to Foxleap and Squirrelflight."

I nodded, licking up the bitter leaves as I tried not to cringe as the taste hit my taste buds. I bounded out of the den as Jayfeather prepared Squirrelflight's and Foxleap's, looking for the two. I spotted Foxleap next to his sister. I headed to them.

"Foxleap," I started. The dark ginger tom looked up at me.

"We need to head to the mountains. You and Squirrelflight are joining Jayfeather and I."

Foxleap frowned. "Why are we going to the mountains?" he asked, following me to the den.

I sighed. "Jayfeather can tell you later."

Foxleap nodded, not protesting as he ducked into the den. I searched the camp for Squirrelflight. Spotting my past mentor speaking with Brambleclaw, I bounded towards her. She turned around, her green eyes brightening.

"Echoflight!" she greeted. Her gaze faltered seeing my more serious one. "What's the matter?"

"You have to come with Jayfeather, Foxleap and I to the mountains," I mewed. "There are some traveling herbs in the den."

Squirrelflight nodded, mewing a goodbye to Brambleclaw as we bounded off to the medicine den. Jayfeather was there, preparing the last herbs for himself. As Foxleap and Squirrelflight licked up their herbs followed by Jayfeather, the gray tabby shouldered past me as he exited the den.

I felt slightly upset. _Is he angry with me? I didn't do anything…_

Once we set off towards the mountains, I immediately wanted to stop. My paws were already aching and we had hardly made it past Clan territory.

Foxleap slowed his pace to follow beside me as Squirrelflight and Jayfeather took the lead. I glanced towards him.

"You're not upset?" I asked.

Foxleap looked at me. "Upset at you for what?"

I looked at my paws. "For… leaving…"

"Oh… that…" Foxleap's voice trailed off. He sighed exasperatedly before adding, "I guess I kind of am… I didn't expect for _you _to do that kind of thing… But you're back now… And it's not like you've abandoned the Clan forever. If you did you never would have come back."

I still felt guilt stab at my heart. I shook my head. "I feel so bad for leaving… I didn't want to."

"Then why did you do it?" asked Foxleap.

I still didn't meet his eyes. "Because I had to."

I could feel Foxleap's amber gaze staring into me but he didn't say anything else as we continued to walk.

After a few nights of resting, we finally reached the ledge leading to the mountains. As we started climbing I immediately felt my heart drop and the adrenaline rushing through my veins. "Great StarClan…" I muttered, climbing up behind Squirrelflight. Foxleap was behind me, smirking.

"Don't fall," he joked.

I glanced back at him, my eyes wide with horror. "Don't say those things…" I muttered, turning back as I watched my paws on the mountain ledge.

Jayfeather hadn't talked with me since we left camp and it was bugging me. Had I done something that upset him? I continued to stare at my paws. I hoped it wasn't something that bad…  
Finally getting upset with all the feelings racing towards me, I walked up to Jayfeather. He had fallen back, letting Squirrelflight take the lead, so I had the chance to ask him.

"Jayfeather?" I called.

He didn't bother to glance back. "What?"

I was taken aback by his sharp tone but I didn't let that get to me. "Um… are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

_Why is he being so discreet?_

"Are you sure?"

"I said I'm _fine," _Jayfeather snapped, turning to face me. His blue eyes glared at me. "Just leave me alone."

I stopped walking, shocked. Why is he being so rude towards me? Instead of being upset, anger raced through me. _What's his problem? _

It took a few days for us to finally reach the Tribe of Rushing Water's camp. "Finally!" gasped Foxleap as we neared the cave entrance. I nodded in agreement. I was surprised my paws haven't fallen off already.

_What are we doing here? _I wondered as we entered the camp. _Jayfeather is supposed to tell Half Moon about being the next Stoneteller… but we already went through that… What's going to happen here?_

"Squirrelflight?" mewed a dark gray tom with amber eyes. _Stormfur! _

"Stormfur!" Squirrelflight echoed my thoughts. "How have you been?"

"We've been doing well," he responded.

"Stormfur, Stormfur!" chirped two tiny kits as they scrambled towards their father, followed by Brook.

"Brook!" Squirrelflight gasped. "You've had kits!"

Brook purred. "I was wondering if you could teach me how to take care of them. Since your three have turned out so well," she added, bending down to lick the head of one of them. They protested, immediately jumping out of her grasp.

"Lark and Pine," Stormfur introduced them. He brushed his muzzle against Brook's.

Squirrelflight was staring down at Brook's kits, guilt lighting her amber eyes. It disappeared after a few moments, looking up at the Tribe cat. "I'm sure you're doing great," she meowed as the two she-cats walked off together, talking.

I let out a sigh, sitting down. Foxleap had bounded off somewhere and Jayfeather was no where in sight.

"Who are you?" Stormfur asked, gaining my attention. I glanced at the gray tom.

"Oh, I'm Echoflight," I introduced. He nodded.

"Nice to meet you," he meowed. "I'm Stormfur."

I nodded as well, remembering that Stormfur and Brook hadn't met me when I joined the Clans - they had already returned to the Tribes.

Stormfur had sat down next to me, looking around the cave. "It's nice here, isn't it?" he mewed wistfully.

I nodded. _It wasn't to begin with, though, _I remembered bitterly that I had been attacked by a hawk when Jayfeather and I had traveled back in time to this very place.

"Why did you come to visit so suddenly?" Stormfur asked.

"Jayfeather received a sign from StarClan saying that we had to journey to the Tribe of Rushing Water," I explained.

Stormfur nodded. "How is everyone? Back at the Clans," he asked. Even though Stormfur's life now lay with the Tribe, he still couldn't forget about the Clans he had grown up with.

I hesitated. _He would get really upset if I told him the Dark Forest attacked us at a Gathering even though no one died…_ "They're doing great," I lied.

"That's good," Stormfur mewed, looking relieved. "So… you're a new warrior?"

I shook my head. "I was appointed a warrior around seven moons ago…" _I think._

Stormfur nodded. "ThunderClan's lucky to have you, then. You seem like a great she-cat," he commented.

_Are they? _I thought bitterly. _I abandoned them when they needed me most. Am I really a true ThunderClan cat?_

We had stayed with the Tribe for a couple of days and nothing had really happened; it was just the usual. But I couldn't help but think back to the Clans; how were they all holding up? Were they alright?

"Echoflight," Stormfur mewed, walking up to me. "Do you want to join Foxleap, Crag, Swoop, Splash and I on a hunting patrol?" I nodded, following the dark gray tom to where the other cats were waiting.

"Remember," Crag meowed, his amber gaze resting on Foxleap and I. "You two don't interfere. You're just watching."

_I wouldn't want to anyway, so I'm fine with that._ I thought as we headed out of the caves.

We walked on until we reached somewhere grassy, but still surrounded by rocky mountainside. Stormfur and Splash stayed crouched farther off, a little farther off, their eyes intent.

Suddenly a mouse shot off from the undergrowth, scuttling along. Stormfur and Splash stayed where they were.

"Why aren't they doing anything?" Foxleap murmured to me. I didn't answer him, watching the Tribe cats intently.

I could feel Foxleap was getting anxious waiting beside me.

"I'm going to catch that mouse if they aren't!" he exclaimed, running towards it.

"Foxleap, no!" I exclaimed, racing after my Clanmate. Before any other cat could make towards him, I shoved him out of the way. The mouse had run off but the hawk about to catch it grabbed onto me instead. The sharpness of the talons felt all too familiar.

The world seemed to freeze before me. I felt myself being carried up higher and higher.

"Echoflight!" cried out Foxleap as he regained his balance, jumping up and clawing at the hawk. I blinked, realizing where I was again.

Foxleap growled, biting down hard on the hawk's leg. It screeched in anger as it swished, kicking at Foxleap, attempting to throw him off. The dark ginger tom wouldn't allow that, though. He clung onto it for dear life, biting and nipping at the hawk.

Memories of what happened back with the ancients raced back to me. Jayfeather desperately trying to save me… The other ancients jumping up and biting on the hawk…

I leaned forward, biting down harshly on the hawk's skinny leg. It let out another screech before realizing we weren't worth it. It dropped us as we fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Are you okay?" Stormfur exclaimed, racing towards us. I got up wearily, nodding.

"I'm fine…" I glanced towards Foxleap. He got up, shaking his pelt.

"I _told_ you to not interfere," Crag growled, shouldering past Swoop and Splash who were watching. He glowered at Foxleap. "You almost cost us a cat, along with a mouse."

Foxleap hung his head. "I'm sorry…"

"We're just not used to your ways of catching food," I meowed, attempting to save my friend. "We didn't know…"

Crag's yellow eyes burned into mine. "Make sure it doesn't happen again," he hissed as he turned around, bounding off to the caves. I glanced towards Swoop and Splash who exchanged worried looks.

_Back in the books it's Swoop who gets taken by the hawk…_ I thought as we trudged back to the cave, following Stormfur. _At least no one was killed this time…_

"Thanks, Foxleap," I meowed. The tom glanced at me.

"Yeah…" he mumbled. "I sort of got you into that mess… and Clanmates help each other, don't they?"

_Yes… but I didn't help you guys when you needed it the most…_ My mind flashed back to the Dark Forest breaking the Gathering. Although I tried to convince myself it wasn't something to be hung-up about, I couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt every time I thought about it.


	28. The Ancients

**Chapter 2: The Ancients**

_******Hello once again. Hope you guys are enjoying this so far. Leave your opinions down in the reviews below, and if you have any suggestions (like things I can improve) feel free to leave those as well! Just nothing too negative or else that'll piss me off (like insulting me as a person). Thanks again! Stay classy and a lil' bit sassy. Smileyface. **_

I hissed as Jayfeather applied some poultice on my wounds. "Stop struggling!" he snapped.

I let out a sigh. "You'd understand if you were clawed by a hawk… twice," I muttered bitterly as I stopped moving.

Jayfeather sighed as well. "Honestly…" he muttered. After a few more moments he stopped. "There, you're done."

I nodded then looked at my fur. It was matted up and smelled of medicine. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I hated the strong smell, and I couldn't even sniff out my own scent. I groaned inwardly. _This is great._

_**(Jayfeather's POV)**_

"You should be lucky you're still alive," I meowed hearing her complaints. "After everything you've been through." I read through her feelings, shock flaming off the she-cat in flames.

I heard Echoflight huff irritably. "Well _sor-ee," _she mumbled, shouldering past me.

I knew she was upset with me. After the way I treated her I wasn't so proud of myself either. But I couldn't stand the way Breezepelt felt about her; I could hear his thoughts, all mixed up with emotions. It was hard to sort through them, but I could recognize that feeling anywhere.

He felt the same way I did about her, and I wasn't going to tolerate that.

I didn't know if I was jealous but I most definitely glad I was blind so I didn't have to _see _the way he would look at her. It would disgust me even more than his thoughts about her.

Letting out a sigh, I shook my head, walking to Stoneteller's cave. I sniffed the air. Faint scents of the Stoneteller lingered along with a much stronger scent. Curious, I padded forward, the scent leading me.

"Jayfeather," a deep mew sounded.

I turned around. It was the Stoneteller.

"Stoneteller, I-" I began but was cut off as Stoneteller let an amused purr rumble in his throat.

"No need to apologize," he meowed. "Any cat who believes in healing and not fighting is welcome here."

My whiskers twitched.

"The Tribe of Endless Hunting no longer watches over the Tribe of Rushing Water," Stoneteller mewed. My eyes widened.

"But, you're going to have to pick a successor!" I protested. Echoflight hadn't mentioned _any _of this to me.

"No," Stoneteller mewed firmly. "Once I die, the Tribe will realize that living here is useless. The loners keep tricking us and stealing our prey. Once I am gone, the Tribe will leave the mountains forever."

_**(Echoflight's POV)**_

I awoke to basking sunlight. Blinking my eyes I turned away to see a familiar white she-cat bounding towards me.

"Echo Whispers!" she exclaimed.

"H-Half Moo-" I started. "Healer."

Half Moon smiled, brushing her muzzle against mine. "It's nice to see you," she meowed. "You always seem to be running off somewhere…"

"It's nice to see you too."

Half Moon looked at me, her green eyes confused. "Where's Jay's Wing?" she asked.

"What?"

"I-I just assumed he would be with you," Half Moon stammered.

I looked around. The gray tabby was no where in sight. I shrugged. "Maybe he's back in the caves?" I suggested. Half Moon nodded.

"You're probably right," she mewed as she led the way back.

_So Jayfeather was right when he said she accepted the role…_ Once we neared the entrance of the cave a sudden rush of guilt came over me. _I mean… sure, I shipped Half Moon with Jayfeather like any normal cat… But actually getting to know him… and …. liking him… I guess that interfered._

"Aren't you supposed to be confined to your cave?" I asked.

Half Moon sighed. "I can't stand it!"

"But what happens if the Tribe of Endless Hunting gives you an important sign?" I asked.

"Tribe of Endless Hunting?" Half Moon echoed.

_Mouse-dung! _"Um… That's what our ancestors are called. When a cat dies they join the Tribe of Endless Hunting and watch over us."

Half Moon nodded. "Oh, okay," she meowed.

We entered the caves to be immediately greeted by Shy Fawn. "Healer!" she screeched. "It's terrible! Lion's Roar is really ill!"

"Don't worry, I'll be right there!" Half Moon gasped as she raced after the panicked queen.

I followed them at a slower pace. Hopefully it was just Shy Fawn overreacting and there was nothing really wrong with Lion's Roar… If not, then could that be the sign of the prophecy breaking?

I waited outside the den while Half Moon tended to the kit. Once she came back out I asked, "is he alright?"

"Just a slight fever," she reported.

My tail lashed. _I got worried over nothing._ "Queen's act as if they're kits are dying…" I muttered.

"She was worried!" Half Moon countered. My ears flattened against my head, embarrassed she had heard my rude comment. "It's her first litter as well. Wouldn't you act like that if you had kits?"

I didn't answer. _Well… I don't know… _I took a deep breath. I couldn't let my temper get the best of me. Especially without Jayfeather around, I had no clue what I was doing here. I glanced at Half Moon. She was waiting for an answer.

"I guess I might…"

Half Moon nodded, a look of 'I told you so" written across her face. "See?" she meowed as I followed her deeper into the caves.

"Is it fun being Healer?" I asked, trying to change the conversation.

Half Moon shrugged. "As I said before, it's boring."

_Yeah, she'd rather have kits with Jay's Wing then be stuck in the caves reading signs._

"You'll get used to it," I meowed. I looked around the cave we had entered. It was dark except for some jagged stones sticking out of a small pool. "This is where you will communicate with the Tribe of Endless Hunting," I meowed, recognizing it as Stoneteller's den from the books.

Half Moon nodded. "Jay's Wing said he would be watching over me… but-"

"Jay's Wing _always_ keeps his promises." I interrupted the she-cat. "He's brave, intelligent and protects those he cares about."

_Although he can be short-tempered, rude, ignorant, self-absorbed and won't talk to me at the moment. _I kept the thought unspoken and tried not to bristle.

"You speak as if you like him," Half Moon commented. I glanced at the white she-cat. Her green eyes glimmered in the darkness of the cave.

"I-" I stammered. "D-Don't be silly! I do-"

"Don't worry Echo Whispers," Half Moon mewed. "I'll wish happiness for you two."

I sighed. There was no use in talking sense into her. She wouldn't believe in anyway. She was stubborn.

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning. I stood up, immediately, shocked. Half Moon stared at me, puzzled. "What's wrong?" she asked.

_Did she not see it? _I didn't answer as the cave began to rumble. My eyes widened in horror as rocks tumbled from the entrance, blocking our one exit. I mumbled curses under my breath as I dodged a rock falling from the ceiling that could have crushed me.

"Echo Whispers!" Half Moon cried out, her fur bristling.

I looked around. Cats with stars in their pelts surrounded us, looking as if they were mist.

"The Tribe of Endless Hunting…" I whispered.

One cat, a tabby with a black paw and ear stepped forward. Her green eyes blazed in the darkness of the cave. "Echo Whispers," she started. "I have a prophecy to tell you of that will help you in the near future."

"Wh-What is it?" I stammered.

"You can't always trust those you know," she started. "There is a traitor in your midst. Find the dark shadow lingering in the mist and destroy them." After another rumble of thunder the ancients had disappeared.

_Could she mean Mistyshadow? _

"What's wrong?" Half Moon demanded. Her fur was fluffed up with anxiety. I shook my head. The rocks had disappeared. Everything was completely fine.

_W-Was it a vision?_

I ran out of the cave without answering Half Moon, although she was following after me.

"Echo Whispers!" she growled. I skidded to a stop. Half Moon never growled. I glanced back at her. "What is going on?"

I sighed, facing the green-eyed she-cat. "I have to go."

"You'll be back though… won't you?" Half Moon asked, worry sparking in her eyes.

My gaze softened with sadness.

Half Moon looked away. "Why do you have to leave me?" she whispered. "Jay's Wing already left… I don't want my sister to go too. I need you!"

I walked up to her, rubbing my muzzle against hers. "I'm sorry. But I'll never forget you, I promise."

Half Moon nodded, breaking away. Tears brimmed her eyes. "Good bye," she meowed as I ran off.

When I opened my eyes again I was in the caverns. I blinked, noticing Foxleap and Squirrelflight. They were gathering around Jayfeather, preparing to leave.

"_Watch out for the dark shadow lingering in the mist, Echo Whispers." _A voice whispered as I bounded to them.

_I will,_ I thought as Jayfeather glanced back at us all. Realizing that we were all gathered he turned as we headed out of the caves. As we headed back to the Clans the prophecy I was given was still ringing in my ears.

_I just hope the darkness isn't as bad as I think it is…_


	29. No need to be fearful

**Chapter 3: No need to be fearful**

_**Hey guys, I know it's been a while - I apologize for the delay! I've been busy writing other fan fiction... and yeah. Hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll take this time to answer a few reviews:**_

_**The last warrior: Idk... We'll see. Probably not though. MistyxThorn is a thing. You'll ship it sooner or later.**_

_**Blazingnyancat: Jayfeather did know that Echoflight was a twoleg, it's just when she was telling Lionblaze and Hollyleaf about it he didn't want to contradict her or say something to make Lionblaze and Hollyleaf mad like, "You knew about this and didn't bother to tell us?" "how long have you known?" "oh my gosh I thought you guys were my friends! why didn't you tell us this?" blah blah. So yes, he did know that she was a **_**_twoleg, it's just that he didn't want to make it more awkward than it needed to be. _**

**_& I'd like to thank gamelover41592 for always commenting/reviewing all the time. You pretty chill, bro. _**

**_Well, hope you guys enjoy the chapter. I'll try to update this a little sooner instead of putting it off like that. My apologies. Smileyface and heartsign._**

I opened my eyes only to be surrounded by darkness. I hold back a groan of frustration as I lazily bring myself up to my paws. "Can no cat get some sleep around here?" I complained to no one in particular. I looked around. No one was in sight.

"Hello?" I asked warily, my voice echoing off into the distance. My ears twitched warily. _Man… This is creepy._

"_Fear the darkness that is yet to come," _whispered a voice in my ear. I jolted at the sudden sound and looked around, my eyes wide. No one was in sight.

"_The mist lingering in the shadows," _the voice continued, "_will bring the Clans to destruction. Only the Five will be able to stop it…" _

"Stop who?" I demanded. "And I'd appreciate it if you would tell me who the fifth cat is, since I have _no _clue!" My tail lashed angrily as I looked around, my temper rising.

"_We believe in you, Echo Whispers." _

I frowned. The ancients? But why were they talking to me? I opened my mouth to say something only to be greeted by darkness once more.

"Echoflight, _Echoflight!" _

I blinked my eyes open and looked around. Hollyleaf was sitting beside me, looking irritable. Her whiskers twitched. "Finally." She got up to her paws once more before padding out of the den. Looking over her shoulder she added, "hurry up, Firestar wants to speak with you, Foxleap and I for a moment."

I nodded before willing my tired paws to get up. I yawned, following Hollyleaf out of the warrior's den and up into Firestar's. We pushed past the brambles to see that Foxleap was already present. He glanced over his shoulder as we entered and nodded to us.

I sat down beside Hollyleaf. _What's going on? _

"Honeyfern's kits have reached six moons old today," Firestar meowed. "And I had in mind that you three could be their mentors."

Foxleap and Hollyleaf nodded eagerly. I frowned.

Firestar looked confused at my expression. Foxleap glanced at me, his green eyes blazing. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's just… I've already been a mentor to an apprentice… Wouldn't someone else take it? Maybe Rosepetal," I suggested.

Firestar shook his head. His green eyes flashed with amusement. "Honeyfern personally asked if you could mentor one of her kits."

Hollyleaf nudged me, her green eyes blazing at me. "What's wrong? Just say yes," she hissed under her breath. I took it into consideration - I didn't want to think the Clan would get angry that I was mentoring so many apprentices… But then again, Mistypaw was my only apprentice.

I nodded, meeting Firestar's gaze. "Thank you, Firestar."

We three dipped our heads in gratitude. Firestar's eyes glimmered in the dimly lit den. "Great," he meowed. "The ceremony will start shortly."

We took that as our invitation to go as we headed out of the den. Foxleap nearly leapt out of his pelt in excitement, his green eyes blazing with pride. "I get to be a mentor! I wonder which one I'll get?" His voice trailed off as his gaze landed on the two kits. I watched as Honeyfern looked down at them, lovingly. Berrynose was beside her, his eyes brimming with pride and emotion as he stared down at his three kits tousling on the ground floor.

I took this as a great opportunity to look at them. The first one I spotted was Molekit - the brown-and-cream tom with blazing amber eyes. He was bigger than the rest of them as he tackled his sister, Cherrykit - the smaller, ginger tabby with the same amber eyes. My gaze finally rested on the third kit - he was the smallest, pale white tom with darker cream stripes and pale blue eyes.

Before I had a chance to approach Honeyfern and ask her about him Firestar interrupted my thoughts. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

As cats slunk out of their dens I returned my gaze to Honeyfern's kits. The smaller tom was looking at me, his blue eyes blazing. I looked away awkwardly as Firestar continued with the ceremony.

"Today is a special day," he meowed, his gaze resting on the crowd of cats gathered, "especially for three kits in our Clans. Step forward, you three."

Everyone turned to look at Honeyfern's kits. Molekit stepped forward confidently, followed by his brother, while Cherrykit was a bit more hesitant.

"Molekit, you have reached your sixth moon and it is time you started you apprentice training. From this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Molepaw. Your mentor will be Hollyleaf." I glanced towards my friend. Her green eyes blazed with happiness as she made her way forward. "Hollyleaf, you are a gifted warrior with excellent speed and agility. I hope you will pass on those very skills and many more to Molepaw."

Hollyleaf nodded as she touched noses with the new apprentice. "Cherrykit," Firestar continued, "from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Cherrypaw. Your mentor will be Foxleap."

I felt Foxleap stiffen beside me at the mention of his name as all cat's turned their gazes towards him. He made his way forward as Firestar continued, "Foxleap, you are a gifted warrior with excellent battle strategy and hunting. I hope you will pass on your skills and many more to Cherrypaw."

Foxleap nodded, still shaking his he touched noses with Cherrypaw. I took a deep breath. It was my turn. My new apprentice was already looking at me, his blue eyes curious and watchful.

"Lunarkit, from this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lunarpaw. Your mentor will be Echoflight." I felt all the Clan's eyes on me as I stepped forward. "Echoflight, you have proved to the Clan many times what it means to be a true, loyal warrior - I hope you will teach Lunarpaw the ways of becoming a ThunderClan warrior."

I nodded as I leaned forward, touching noses with the smaller apprentice.

"I'll do my best," he whispered.

I smiled as I pulled away. "I will too."

"Lunarpaw, Cherrypaw, Molepaw! Lunarpaw, Cherrypaw, Molepaw!" chanted the Clan. As the meeting came to an end, the rest of the cats dispersed to their usual duties. I glanced back at Lunarpaw. He was watching me intently, his head cocked to one side.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Is there anything you want to do?"

Lunarpaw shrugged. "Whatever's okay with you."

I nodded briskly, looking around the camp. Maybe he would like to do a group training? I glanced back at Lunarpaw. He was looking around the camp as well, thankfully, so I didn't have to cringe at how bad I was starting out. I didn't want him to think I was a bad mentor or anything. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I needed to forget about Mistyshadow and the prophecy for now and think about Lunarpaw.

"Do you want to do a group session?"

Lunarpaw shrugged again. I took that as a yes and bounded towards Foxleap and Hollyleaf. They were talking with their apprentices tousling beside them. I skidded to a halt as I glanced at my two Clanmates.

"Do you want to group session with Lunarpaw and I?" I nodded back to my apprentice, who at the moment, was staring up at the sky.

Foxleap's whiskers twitched and Hollyleaf nodded in agreement. I smiled. "Great." I nodded towards Cherrypaw and Molepaw who noticed their mentors beginning to walk away as they scrambled to their paws, following us back to Lunarpaw. He glanced towards us when he saw us coming then rose to his paws.

We bounded off to the hollow, our paws thundering against the forest floor. It was beginning to chill again as the frost began to coat the forest ground. It was cold against my paws as we neared the clearing, skidding to a halt.

"Alright," Foxleap started, turning to face the other apprentices. Cherrypaw and Molepaw stopped bickering while Lunarpaw averted his gaze to the left, distracted by something else. I frowned. _Does he not get along with Cherrypaw and Molepaw? I mean… Poppyfrost and Berrynose never had a kit named Lunarpaw, so I guess it's understandable since I altered everything… But still._

"First things first we're going to start with a hunter's crouch," Hollyleaf continued once the apprentices were paying attention. Lunarpaw still hadn't turned his gaze to look at the older she-cat. He was staring off into the trees. My eyes narrowed as I watched him curiously. Should I scold him for not paying attention or should I just wait and see what he'll do?

As Hollyleaf and Foxleap continued on training their apprentices, Lunarpaw looked the most disinterested. I padded towards him.

"Lunarpaw," I started. He glanced towards me, his blue eyes flashing. They were similar to his mother's, yet so different - they didn't hold the kindness Honeyfern's carried. I frowned. _Does he not like me? _"Are you ready to learn to do the crouch?"

"I already know how to," was Lunarpaw's response. I was slightly taken aback by his cocky attitude. My pelt bristled but I willed my temper to stay low as I nodded slowly.

"Really? Can you show me?"

Lunarpaw sighed before dropping down on all fours, his tail lifted up slightly and his angle perfect. He slowly crept across the forest floor, his paws light as a mouse's steps as he easily avoided crunching leaves and snapping twigs in his way. He was a born natural. I smiled, nodding. At least that would make it easier for me.

We continued on with the lesson, testing to see if the new apprentices were ready to catch their first prey. Cherrypaw snapped a twig causing the squirrel to skirt up the tree while Molepaw clumsily landed his paws against the ground, making a louder noise than he intended causing the mouse to scamper away.

Only Lunarpaw was able to skillfully cross the forest floor, his blue eyes glittering as he pounced on the mouse, swiftly killing it with one bite to the neck. My eyes were wide and as I glanced back at Hollyleaf and the others, I could tell they were as equally shocked. Foxleap's mouth was agape along with Molepaw's while Cherrypaw's amber eyes were wide with disbelief. I padded towards Lunarpaw, congratulating him.

"Great catch, Lunarpaw," I mewed. He nodded, his blue eyes flashing in triumph as we headed back to camp. As he set his fresh-kill onto the pile, Cherrypaw and Molepaw scampered towards Berrynose and Honeyfern, telling them about their first day as apprentices. Berrynose's eyes shone with pride while Honeyfern's gaze rested on her smallest son. Her blue eyes softened when she saw me next to him and padded forward.

"Did you catch that?" she asked, nodding towards the mouse Lunarpaw had set on top of the fresh-kill pile.

Lunarpaw nodded, his eyes sparkling with pride. "Yes! Did I do good, Honeyfern?"

A purr rumbled deep in Honeyfern's throat as she affectionately rubbed her cheek against her son's. "Amazing."

Lunarpaw pulled away, watching as Berrynose roughhoused with Molepaw and Cherrypaw, attempting to teach them some simple battle moves. His blue eyes clouded over as he glanced towards Honeyfern.

"Do you think Berrynose will think it's good?"

I noticed a flash of worry and sympathy in Honeyfern's blue eyes as she looked down at her son but it was gone in a second before she mewed, "I'm sure he will."

Lunarpaw nodded although I could tell he wasn't convinced. I cleared my throat. nudging him. "Why don't you go to the elder's den? They need some moss cleaned out… And I'm sure that Longtail would love to tell you some stories if you ask nicely."

Lunarpaw's blue eyes brightened as he nodded, bounding towards the medicine den to get the mouse bile. I glanced back at Honeyfern, nudging her. She sighed, knowing what I wanted to talk about.

"I just don't understand," she murmured, her blue gaze resting on Berrynose and her other kits. He was leveling Mousepaw's battle crouch. "He gets along so well with Cherrypaw and Molepaw… But when it comes to Lunarpaw… He just seems ignorant."

I snorted. "Berrynose is _always _ignorant."

Honeyfern frowned at me. I cleared my throat again. "I mean…" My voice trailed off, not knowing how to save myself this time.

Honeyfern sighed, shaking her head. "It's alright… I know he's not every cat's favourite… But he has his good side."

I nodded, remembering how infatuated Honeyfern was with Berrynose the minute she had met him - I still was baffled at the thought of how a sweet, innocent she-cat could be so in love with such an arrogant, self-absorbed tom.

But then again, that's life.

"So that's why…" My voice trailed off as I recalled the way Lunarpaw seemed detached compared to Molepaw and Cherrypaw. Although he was smaller than them, he learned quickly and was eager.

I glanced at my friend. She sighed again, exasperatedly this time, as her blue eyes shone with sadness as she watched Lunarpaw scamper across the hollow, making his way into the elder's den, carrying the bile. "He learns quickly," I mewed, wanting my friend to be happy. She glanced at me, her blue eyes brightening.

"He does?"

I nodded. "I didn't have to teach him hardly anything. He already knew the perfect hunter's crouch and was the only one to bring back a catch."

Honeyfern nodded, glancing at the mouse. "When Molepaw and Cherrypaw would play with their father Lunarpaw would always go off somewhere. I always wondered where he went but he always came back so I never asked him about it… I guess that's what he was doing. He was preparing for his apprentice duties."

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. I felt a stab of pity for Lunarpaw - I didn't like how Berrynose neglected his son like that. It wasn't like he was blind or had a dislocated jaw to make Berrynose want to do that…

"It's a full moon tonight," Honeyfern added, changing the subject. Grateful, I glanced up at the sky. It was already getting darker. She was right.

"Do you think that the Clans will go to the Gathering?" I asked.

Honeyfern shrugged. "It's hard to say…" She stared at her paws as her voice trailed off. Almost to answer the question, Firestar had appeared up on the Highledge.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Immediately cats were filing out. Honeyfern nudged me. "Let's go check it out," she meowed. I nodded as I followed my friend closer to the Highledge, sitting down amongst our Clanmates. I spotted Lionblaze as he and Cinderheart bounded towards us.

"Do you think Firestar is going to let us go to the Gathering?" Lionblaze murmured in my ear.

I shrugged. "I don't know…" And I honestly didn't. If we didn't go to Gathering we wouldn't have to risk any more surprise attacks from the Dark Forest. But if we did go we either face a Gathering with no other Clan or it just goes normally. I looked up at Firestar, waiting for the ThunderClan leader to speak.

He cleared his throat before mewing, "ThunderClan will attend tonight's Gathering."

Yowls of protest and shock arose from the crowd below.

"Why should we go?" demanded Mousefur. "Do you not remember what happened last time?"

"I do remember, Mousefur," Firestar meowed calmly, although I noticed his tail lash. "But I also know we should go. StarClan will be angry if we don't attend."

Mousefur snorted but didn't protest.

Firestar's green gaze flickered towards Jayfeather who was waiting beside the medicine den. "Jayfeather," he called, "have you received any signs from StarClan? A warning, perhaps?"

Jayfeather shrugged, shaking his head. "No, Firestar."

Firestar sighed. Immediately the Clan began to bicker again.

"This is why we _shouldn't _go," Spiderleg protested.

"StarClan doesn't want us to go. If they did they would have told Jayfeather!" Thornclaw put in.

Brackenfur took the more positive route. "I'm sure that we should still attend," he mewed. He glanced at his mate, Sorreltail, sitting beside him. She nodded in agreement as he continued, "after all, what if we don't go and something important happens?"

Firestar cleared his throat, causing the dispute to die down. I looked at the Clan leader wearily. "We will still go even if StarClan refuses to tell us anything."

The meeting was at an end. Brambleclaw stepped forward.

"Birchfall, Thornclaw, Mistyshadow, Blossomfall, Echoflight, Lunarpaw, Squirrelflight, Rosepetal and Whitewing. You will be coming to the Gathering." He bounded off of the Highledge, heading towards the thorn barrier followed by Firestar and the other cats called. I looked over my shoulder. Spiderleg's amber eyes were narrowed as he scoffed, turning on his heel as he padded towards the warrior's den. I frowned.

_Geez… _I neared the barrier where the other cats were waiting. Lunarpaw bounded up beside me.

I smiled at him. "Are you ready for your first Gathering?"

Lunarpaw nodded. I noticed he seemed happier. "Cherrypaw and Molepaw aren't coming," he pointed out. He glanced over his shoulder. Cherrypaw and Molepaw didn't seem to be too upset as they watched Lunarpaw and I walk farther off. They turned around, bounding off towards Berrynose once more.

Lunarpaw's ears flattened against his head as his paw steps slowed. I nudged him.

"If there's anything you want to tell me," I started, "you can tell me. I'll be here to listen."

Lunarpaw's ears rose again, his left one twitching, although he didn't say anything. I sighed as we continued to exit the hollow. It was silent and the only noise that could be heard was the buzz of conversation around us.

"Echoflight," Lunarpaw started. I glanced at him. He wasn't looking at me, but instead, was watching his paws. "Do you think there will be another ambush like last time?"

"I can't be sure," I responded. I gave a small smile. "But I'm certain it won't happen any time soon. And even if it does, we have some of the best warriors here."

Though as much as I was trying to convince my Lunarpaw, I was trying to convince myself just as much.

**a/n: & that's the end of that. Hope you guys enjoyed, and don't forget to leave a review down below! You probably already know this but I absolutely love reviews and I'd be much obliged if you would leave one. Doesn't have to be a long one, could just say you like this story or something - really any kind of feedback is nice. & yeah. I was listening to music whilst writing this chapter so hopefully there aren't any major errors (spelling, grammar... etc.) And see you all in the next chapter! **


	30. Worries

**Chapter 4: Worries**

Nothing had gone wrong. At least nothing we were expecting. The Gathering had gone along as smoothly as all of the other ones had previous to the Dark Forest attack. Even the other Clans had showed up. The only thing I could mention was how boring it was compared to the other ones; all most cats did was sit there, obviously drenched in fear despite the moon shining bright and round as ever.

I didn't want to admit that I was slightly glad that the Gathering was over. Usually I enjoyed things like that, but all I wanted was to get back to my nest and get a good night's sleep - this time without any interruptions. But ever since I had become a cat all I've gotten was cats interrupting my sleep - either telling me to join the Dark Forest or give me new prophecies. And I was sick of them.

I glanced towards Mistyshadow. She seemed to be enjoying the conversation she was having with Thornclaw. Although we had already returned to camp, the two hadn't stopped talking since we set foot in the hollow. I sighed, shaking my head. Hopefully they wouldn't do anything stupid.

I padded towards the warrior's den before saying goodnight to Lunarpaw. As I curled up in my nest the prophecy about Mistyshadow flashed in my mind again. I shook my head, shutting my eyes tighter as I curled up into a ball, trying to forget about it. I just wanted one night of sleep. Was that too much to ask?

I yawned, my eyes opening. Some other warriors were creeping into the den, however, most of them around me were sleeping. I shut my eyes again. I always had insomnia as a human… I didn't want it as a cat as well. I tried to shift positions in my nest without disturbing Hollyleaf and Honeyfern beside me, but it was difficult. My nest just didn't feel comfortable.

I got up slowly into a sitting position. No cat stirred near me. Soft snoring could be heard emitting from the den. I yawned again before slowly maneuvering around the den and making it out into the clearing of the hollow. I looked around. It was still dark. I could hear the sounds of night - crickets and grasshoppers chirping - and the night sky was as beautiful as ever. I sighed, exiting out of the camp through the dirt place; I didn't want to be caught by someone. I wanted to be left alone in my thoughts.

I continued to walk around ThunderClan territory. As I neared WindClan territory I glanced up at the path winding towards the Moonpool. Hesitating I glanced behind me. No one had followed me. I looked back up the path before bounding forward.

Once I had reached the Moonpool it was as beautiful as the Hunters had described it. The pool seemed to shimmer with the stars of the night sky. I padded closer towards it, resting at the foot of it. I stared into the water. It shimmered underneath the pale moonlight. I had planned on sleeping without being disturbed but instead I brought myself here to get a restless night's sleep? I looked around, my fur on end. I didn't feel safe for some reason.

I bent down, licking at the water. It was cold as it ran down my throat. I shivered before shutting my eyes as I settled my head into my paws, falling deeply into blackness.

When I opened my eyes again I was greeted by the familiar starry ranks of StarClan. I looked around. There was no cat to be seen that I recognized. I spotted Lionheart and Whitestorm talking farther along the territory and noticed a starry-apprentice pounce on some fresh-kill. I frowned, beginning to walk towards the two toms I recognized only to halt suddenly. They had disappeared.

I looked around fervently. It was still StarClan. The apprentice was still there. I looked around. Where had Whitestorm and Lionheart gone?

I looked back towards the territory - StarClan's ranks seemed to stretch out forever. I began to start forward again. I attempted to scour out a familiar face - hopefully Yellowfang or Spottedleaf so I could ask if they knew about the ancients - but I found no one. I finally stopped, sighing.

_Why did I even come here? What's the use? _

"You honestly need to be more patient," grumbled a voice from behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Yellowfang padding towards me. Her yellow eyes flashed as they met mine. "I was going to meet you back there."

I shrugged. "Sorry."

Yellowfang snorted. "Sure you are." She didn't push the matter forward as she continued, "why come to the Moonpool?"  
I shrugged again. "I don't know."

Yellowfang's whiskers twitched. "Although I may be old I can tell you if you're lying," she rasped. I glanced at her. Her yellow gaze softened, but only for a moment. "We won't always be here to help you."

I opened my mouth to object but Yellowfang beat me to it. Her tail lashed and I finally noticed how matted her pelt looked even though she was a StarClan warrior now. Despite her looking younger than her age when she died, her yellow eyes still blazed as a young warrior's might.

Yellowfang lifted her muzzle to look up. She sighed, stretching. "Why don't you head back to your Clan and get some rest?" she suggested. Her whiskers twitched as her yellow gaze met mine. "It'll give you a chance to solve the prophecy."

I snorted. "How many more prophecies am I going to have to get?"

Yellowfang met my gaze evenly, although she didn't answer my question. Slowly, she began to fade, as all StarClan warriors do. When I opened my eyes again I was beside the Moonpool. Morning light shone in through the cave as I stretched, yawning. _The Clan will be wondering where I am… _I realized as I quickly scrambled to my paws and bounded back to ThunderClan territory.

**a/n: sorry that this chapter isn't that great and it's way short. I've been really busy and all, with school coming soon. I hope you guys enjoyed this nonetheless and I'll see you in the next chapter! Don't forget to review/comment and hope you have a splendid day! Smileyface.**


	31. Journey to the sky

**Chapter 5: Journey to the sky**

Once I was back at camp, I was immediately greeted by Mistyshadow. Her blue gaze looked wary as she glanced over her shoulder at the hollow. I frowned.

"What's the matter?" I asked, pushing past her to the entrance. She jumped in front of me yet again.

"It's that cat you warned me about… Sol…" her voice was a low murmur. I continued to frown at the small she-cat.

"Is he here?"

Mistyshadow nodded, blinking. "I don't think he brings good news either… After we drove him out of ShadowClan he seems angry at us. He wanted to speak to Lionblaze, Jayfeather, you and Dovewing," she added.

I sighed, walking past her to the entrance. "Well let's tell him to get out."

Mistyshadow was padding behind me, her pawsteps heavy. "I don't know…"

I looked over my shoulder. I skidded to a halt before we reached the thorn barrier. "Mistyshadow, you haven't read the books before." I lowered my voice just in case some cats near the entrance could hear us. I glanced back at the creme-colored she-cat. "You don't know how bad this can get… We were lucky we got Sol out of ThunderClan… ShadowClan even. He's set on ruining the Clans."

The she-cat frowned, her tail lashing. Her soft fur was fluffed up in anxiety and annoyance. "What are we supposed to do then?" she demanded. "Why is he so set on ruining the Clans?"

I sighed, looking over my shoulder again. I had already told her all of this - trust the most ignorant she-cat on the planet to forget it all. I looked back at her, tearing my gaze away from the entrance. "It started with SkyClan… I told you all of this, remember?" I asked hopefully. I didn't want to explain this a second time.

Mistyshadow frowned, as if in deep thought before nodding. "Oh yeah… Those cats that live farther… Near the ocean?"

I nodded. _Close enough. _"Yeah, kind of. Anyway… Sol wanted to take over SkyClan… and they sort of let him at first. Some cats he met before SkyClan he took over as well, and he completely destroyed them." I got up, padding for the entrance again. Mistyshadow was following behind me, not as hesitant as before.

"What are we going to do?"

I didn't answer as we continued deeper into the camp. Daisy was talking with Ferncloud outside of the nursery while Dovepaw and Ivypaw were conversing about something. My ears pricked as I glanced towards the medicine cat den. StarClan had told me I could tell Jayfeather if I needed anything. I looked back at Mistyshadow. She had already bounded off towards Icecloud and Rosepetal who were sitting near the fresh-kill pile. I looked back at the medicine den.

_I have no other choice, _I thought as I warily started forward. _He'll think I'm crazy, but what do I have to lose? _

I pushed past the brambles of the medicine den. "Jayfeather?" I called.

No answer. I frowned, entering the den completely. Before I had a chance to look around some more, Leafpool was behind me.

"Echoflight," she started. I glanced back at her. She looked down at her paws before back up at me, her amber eyes confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh… I was looking for Jayfeather," I mewed. I shuffled my paws anxiously. I always had the feeling Leafpool didn't like me very much. It upsetted me, but not as much as it would have if she were my favorite character. Leafpool frowned, her amber eyes narrowing slightly.

"What for? Maybe I can help," she offered. I shook my head.

"I-It's fine."

Leafpool continued to stare me down, as if her pressuring gaze would end up getting to me and making me reveal my true reason for wanting to speak to him. I met her amber eyes evenly. She sighed, sitting down, tail neatly over her paws. "Echoflight… I think we should talk."

"About what?" I asked warily, sitting down beside her nonetheless. Leafpool sighed.

"I see the way you look at him," she pointed out. I felt my ears heat up. _Is she going to give me some life advice now? _"Jayfeather may be blind but I'm definitely not. Echoflight… I don't think it's a very smart idea to continue to see him. I noticed before I resigned… You distracted him a lot."

It took all of my willpower not to scoff at her then and there. _What a hypocrite. _

"I think it would be best if you… attempted to refrain from seeing him every now and then," Leafpool added. I stared at her. Was she being serious? After all, this was coming from the she-cat that fell in love with a WindClan cat - _Crowfeather _for StarClan's sake! She even named Jayfeather after him!

"I know that since you didn't grow up with the Clans it might be a bit more difficult to understand," Leafpool continued. I continued to stare at her, a mix of both surprise and shock clear on my expression. "But you have to trust me when I say that it could lead to-"

"Hang on a second, Leafpool," I interrupted, getting fed up with her talking. "Are you sure you should be the one telling me this?"

Leafpool's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

I sighed, lowering my voice. "I know that you are Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather's mother. And I know that Crowfeather is their father."

Leafpool's amber eyes widened slightly, then she let out an exasperated sigh. "StarClan told me of your powers," she mewed.

My own eyes widened. "Really?"

Leafpool nodded. "They told me that a cat with beyond our knowledge would soon join the Clan. I assumed that that cat was Sol at first, but when you stepped in saying that you knew of the vanishing sun… It was obvious then StarClan was talking about you."  
_Sol! _I jumped to my paws, alarming Leafpool. "Do you know where Jayfeather is? This is really important."

"What's wrong?" Leafpool asked, concern alighting her amber gaze.

"I… We need to go to SkyClan."

Leafpool frowned. "SkyClan? Do you even know where they are?"

_Yep, thanks to the field guides. _I nodded my head. "I'm Firestar and Sandstorm remember as well," I added, recalling the Special Edition, _Firestar's Quest. _Leafpool and Squirrelflight had actually been born in SkyClan camp, I recalled. Leafpool met my gaze before nodding, following me out of the medicine den.

"Jayfeather is out, by the way," she added. "He went to go collect some more herbs."

"It seems like all he does is collect herbs," I remarked before I could stop myself. Leafpool shrugged, although looking into her eyes I could tell she found my comment amusing.

We finally reached Firestar's den. I pushed past the ferns. He was speaking quietly with Brambleclaw and Sandstorm, but looked up when Leafpool and I entered. His green eyes were confused as they landed on us.

"Echoflight, Leafpool," he greeted. "What's the matter?"

I took a breath. I exchanged a look with Leafpool before saying, "We need to go visit SkyClan."

Firestar frowned. "SkyClan?" he echoed. "What for?"

I shuffled my paws nervously. Would he believe me if I told him I had a hunch? Should I mention Sol? I glanced at Leafpool, then looked at Sandstorm and Brambleclaw. They were watching me with careful eyes.

"I… I think Sol is planning something." I finally meowed.

Firestar's green gaze continued to bore into me. It seemed like moons before he said, "what makes you think that?"

I sighed. "I… I just have a feeling."

I saw Firestar exchanged glances with Sandstorm and Brambleclaw before looking at Leafpool. "Has she spoken to you about this?"

I looked over my shoulder at Leafpool. She met my amber gaze before looking back at Firestar. "Yes."

Firestar's green eyes flickered towards me before landing back on his daughter. "And what do you think?"

I was slightly taken aback that Firestar was still asking advice from Leafpool. I understood that she was his daughter and everything, but she had resigned her medicine cat post. Was he expecting her to say that she had received a sign from StarClan to allow me to go venturing to SkyClan? _Maybe I didn't think this through so well, _I thought warily, glancing back at Sandstorm and Brambleclaw who were still watching me. _I still have an apprentice to train… I can't take time out of his training just because I have a hunch… But Sol has to be stopped. I'm not sure if they understand that… But if they knew the things he did to SkyClan…_

Firestar sighed, glancing back at me. "How many cats do you need to join you?" he asked.

I stared. I didn't expect that I would get this far. "Oh… Um, not that many. Possibly five at the most."

Firestar nodded before glancing back at Sandstorm. "Do you remember the way?" he asked her. Her green eyes glimmered in the dimly lit den.

"How could I forget?" she smirked. Firestar gave a small smile before looking back at me.

"I will announce to the Clan of your plan. If there are cats willing to join you then you may leave tomorrow. If not…" His voice trailed off. I nodded, dipping my head to him.

"Thank you, Firestar," I meowed, looking up to meet his gaze. He nodded once more before excusing Leafpool and I. As we padded out the den, Leafpool caught my attention once more.

"I hope you're right when you say SkyClan needs our help," she mewed. I looked at her, meeting her gaze firmly.

"I know it."

She met my gaze before giving a small nod. "Well," she meowed, bounding off the Highledge. I followed after her as she looked over her shoulder, meeting my gaze once more. Her amber eyes glimmered. "I guess you are StarClan sent for a reason."

I smiled before she bounded off. I looked around. Was Firestar going to call the meeting now? I glanced back up at the Highledge. No movement from his den. I breathed out a sigh of relief. I wasn't ready to face the Clan with my plan to go to SkyClan just yet. The more I thought about it, the less confidence I had in other cats wanting to join on the expedition. The only cats I knew that would join would be Lunarpaw and Mistyshadow; Mistyshadow being the only other cat to know of the true motives of Sol because I told her, and Lunarpaw because he was my apprentice and usually supported me in most of the stuff I did or told him to do.

Before I could go to ask Lionblaze and Hollyleaf (seeing as they barely just returned from a hunting patrol), Firestar had leaped up onto the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

I immediately felt my heart drop into my stomach and began to feel queasy. I looked around as the ThunderClan cats began to gather around me. Graystripe sat to my left while Thornclaw filled in to my right. I swallowed nervously as I looked up to Firestar. He met my green gaze and gave a small nod with his head, ushering me to come up onto the Highledge.

I took a deep breath before obeying the Clan leader. I bounded up onto the ledge, my paws feeling heavy as the blood rushed in my ears. My whiskers twitched as I attempted to calm myself down. Once everyone had gathered and quieted down, Firestar meowed: "I have been told by Echoflight and Leafpool that Sol is plotting something. We must travel to SkyClan to figure out what that is, exactly."

I cringed. That didn't sound very convincing at all. I glanced down at the crowd to see that it was true.

"What?" Spiderleg called out. "SkyClan? But they're so far away! It'll take moons before we even make it to the sun-drown place."

"We drove Sol out anyway," Dustpelt put in. Thornclaw and Foxleap nodded in agreement as the older warrior continued, "why bother? After all, SkyClan is so far away, we won't know if they need help or not."

I flexed my claws nervously. I glanced at Firestar as he met my gaze evenly. He wanted me to take over. I took a deep breath. _Don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up, _I kept telling myself as I stepped forward. I cleared my throat, waiting for the Clan cats to settle down. Once the chatter had died down I started.

"Sol is set on destroying the Clans once and for all," I meowed. "The reason that caused all of this was because of SkyClan. They had previously drove him out, only with the expense of having him come to us. Now that we have proven we were stronger than him, I expect he has returned to the previous Clan that mocked him before."

I braced myself for the arguing to commence. Graystripe was the first to speak.

"How are we going to stop him?" he asked.

"I was thinking if we got the help of SkyClan, we could help them settle it with him once and for all," I told him. Graystripe nodded, exchanging a glance with Lionblaze and Hollyleaf.

Firestar stepped forward. "If there are any cats willing to join Echoflight on the journey to SkyClan, step forward."

I heard the buzz of the cats murmuring all together. I held my breath, bracing myself for the worse. When Jayfeather was the first to step forward, I could tell the Clan was just as shocked as I was. After a few more moments hesitation, Poppyfrost, Hollyleaf, Lunarpaw and Mistyshadow stepped forward. After a few moments of hesitation, Thornclaw was the last cat. They stared up at me, their eyes blazing with determination.

I glanced at Firestar. He met my gaze.

"Do you think you can handle more than five cats?" he asked.

**a/n: goodness gracious I apologize again for the shorter chapters. I promise you that the next ones will be longer, though! I've been busy getting ready for school and everything (it starts August 25… dear God) and I also have a REALLY ANNOYING ear infection. I literally got two hours of sleep last night because it woke me up. so I thought, why not update this story? and that's what I'm doing. hope you guys have a great morning/evening/day/night and I'll see you in the next chapter! don't forget to leave a review. (:**


	32. Hello again, Midnight

**Chapter 6: Hello again, Midnight**

"Where exactly are we going?" Thornclaw grumbled. I glanced over my shoulder at the golden brown tabby. He was padding alongside Mistyshadow and Poppyfrost. Ahead of me were Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and Sandstorm. Lunarpaw was beside me. I sighed, exchanging an exasperated look with my apprentice.

"The sun-drown place… Remember?"

Thornclaw shrugged. "That was when we migrated… How am I supposed to remember that?"

I didn't answer as we continued to follow Sandstorm. She would glance back at us every now and then, but I could tell she knew deep down we were exhausted. We hadn't taken a break ever since we left the Clans' territories. My paws felt as if they were going to fall off.

"I'm tired," Mistyshadow complained.

"We need to head a little farther down," Sandstorm explained, glancing over her shoulder at the she-cat, "then we'll rest. It's getting late."

I looked up at the sky. She was right. The blue sky was beginning to turn the familiar warm colors of a sunset.

"We can camp out over there," I suggested, pointing my muzzle a little farther up ahead. There lay a small brand of trees, surrounding a puddle and I could detect faint scents of prey.

Sandstorm nodded in agreement. "Sounds great," she mewed as we started for our resting spot. Once we neared the clearing Mistyshadow collapsed on the ground, sighing. As Sandstorm dispersed with the others to catch some prey, Hollyleaf, Jayfeather and I remained with Mistyshadow.

"I wish I was a twoleg again," she mumbled. "At least then I would be able to massage my paws. I miss having opposable thumbs."

"Opposa-what?" Hollyleaf echoed, blinking her green eyes.

Mistyshadow shook her head, stretching. "Nevermind."

As Hollyleaf continued to pester Mistyshadow about thumbs, I continued to stare off into the distance. We were near moorland, and I could barely smell saltwater. _We must be nearing the sun-drown place, _I realized.

"What's the real reason why you want to go to SkyClan?" Jayfeather asked. I jumped, looking over to face him. He was staring off ahead.

I sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I mewed. It was true in a way. I couldn't really explain Sol's hatred for the Clans yet again without them wanting to know some more information about it. My gaze flickered back towards Mistyshadow and Hollyleaf, who were now talking about the 'massages' Mistyshadow had mentioned earlier.

"You're still saying that?" Jayfeather asked. His whiskers twitched. "I thought you would have gotten over that by now."

I frowned, my tail lashing. He was right, yet again. I should be used to it; after all, the Clan had accepted me dozens of times despite the fact I'm the strangest cat they've ever met. I've died around three times and they still haven't begun to cast me aside. I glanced back over my shoulder. Lunarpaw was watching Hollyleaf and Mistyshadow begin to argue about the best remedy for aching paws, his whiskers twitching with amusement.

"What are you going to do if Sol isn't in SkyClan?" Jayfeather mewed, gaining my attention once again.

"Plan B," I mewed.

Jayfeather tilted his head towards me, his blind blue eyes flashing. "Which is?"

"Find out more about the prophecy."

"How?"

"Firestar originally received the prophecy from a SkyClan cat whose name was Skywatcher," I explained. "I'm assuming maybe SkyClan's ancestors are still watching over their descendents. If we can make it to SkyClan in time, maybe we can stop Sol from ruining them and also find out more about the prophecy - maybe we can find out who the Fourth is," I added.

Jayfeather was quiet for a moment, considering the thought before nodding briskly. He rose to his paws. "That sounds like a good idea," he meowed. Before I could try to develop the conversation more, he had already padded off towards Hollyleaf. I sighed, getting up and walking over to my apprentice. He was laying down, staring off somewhere. I nudged him and he got up immediately.

"Yes?" he asked. "Do you need me to do something?"

I shook my head. "Are… Are you alright with this?" I asked.

Lunarpaw met my gaze, puzzled. "Alright with what?"

"Going to SkyClan… After all, it's cutting into your training." I felt guilty about it; I knew I should be training Lunarpaw more, but I had to stop Sol. He would understand if I could explain it more to him. Lunarpaw looked sheepish as his ears flattened against his head. He shifted on his paws, nervously.

"Um… About my training," he began but was cut off as Sandstorm, Thornclaw and Poppyfrost returned from hunting. They had caught a lot.

"This place is crawling with prey," Sandstorm commented as she set down her three mice. Thornclaw nodded as he set down his rabbit and Poppyfrost her two finches. I padded over, nodding in agreement. I looked up at Sandstorm.

"We continue to head west from here, right?" I asked.

Sandstorm frowned. "West?" she echoed.

"I-I mean straight down." I stammered, attempting to correct myself. Sandstorm nodded, although her green eyes watched me carefully.

As we all gathered to eat, Sandstorm turned to me. "We'll take turns taking watch," she meowed. "I'll take the first watch."

"I'll go second," offered Poppyfrost.

"I'll go third," mewed Hollyleaf. Sandstorm nodded.

"When the sun rises again we'll continue heading down until we reach the sun-drown place. It can't be far from here." She tasted the air before adding, "I can taste the water."

Mistyshadow, Poppyfrost and Lunarpaw did the same. Hollyleaf glanced towards Jayfeather. He remained quiet. I looked back at Sandstorm who had continued to eat her meal in silence. I did the same, consumed in my thoughts. I just hoped that we would be able to solve something, whether it be ridding Sol from the Clans for good or finding out more about the prophecy.

* * *

The next morning I woke up to pale, dawn lighting. I blinked, stretching. Hollyleaf was still keeping watch. I padded towards her, nudging her. "Get some rest," I mewed. She glanced at me, shaking her head.

"I'm fine," she meowed before a loud yawn escaped her. I gave her a look.

"Go." I nudged her towards my makeshift nest. "I'll take up the rest of your watch. I'm awake anyway," I added before she protest.

Hollyleaf hesitated, opening her mouth to say something before closing it. After another yawn escaped her, she padded towards my nest. I waited until she curled up into a ball and her eyes were closed before tearing my gaze away from the group.

I was amazed at how easily the Clan could trust one another - depend on one another. It was something that most humans didn't have, I realized. That deep loyalty and trustworthy attributes that almost every Clan cat carried… It made me ponder the thought that maybe I was _meant _to be a Clan cat. I never felt like I fit in with people, anyways. My eyes narrowed as I stared at the ground, remembering the terrors of middle school and elementary.

When I had first read the Warriors series, I was in sixth grade. I remember I got interested because some kids in my class were reading it. The first book I had picked out was _Fire and Ice. _Since it was the second book in Rusty's Arc, I honestly didn't have any clue what was going on. I finally ended up returning the book to our elementary's library and getting _Into the Wild. _And I hardly was interested in it. _I thought it was so boring, _I recalled, smiling at the thought. I glanced over my shoulder at the cats sleeping behind me. _I never would have thought back then I could actually be living as a Clan cat… I mean, sure, in my elementary if you read the _Warriors _series you were instantly cool and my friends and I would 'pretend' to make our own Clans and play the at recess… But to actually be living in it… _

I swallowed as I bitterly began to remember how middle school completely changed my view on _Warriors. _Everyone thought that I was stupid for liking such a book. They claimed it was dumb, and although it didn't have a very diverse plotline or the best writing in the world, it was still something I enjoyed to read. It was adventurous and had lovable characters. My thoughts continued to darken as I delved deeper into my memories; how the popular kids would make fun of me for drawing some of the characters, how they would say I'm so stupid and I had the weirdest taste in books ever…

I jumped suddenly at the sound of Mistyshadow coughing. I glanced towards her. At least I wasn't the only one awake so early. She yawned before stretching, her cream-colored pelt ruffled. She glanced towards me then looked around at the cats surrounding her. Slowly and carefully she maneuvered through them as she made her way towards me. Sitting beside me she watched me carefully.

"Are you alright?" she asked, noticing the expression on my face.

I shook my head, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine."

Mistyshadow frowned, her dark blue eyes never leaving my amber. "Are you sure? You can talk to me about it… You're worried about becoming a twoleg again, aren't you?"

I stared at her. "How did you-"

Mistyshadow sighed, turning away from me. "I've been thinking about that too… I mean… I _hated _my life as a human - er - _twoleg, _and… I just wanted to fit in with everyone. Even here I wanted to fit in with everyone," she added. I nodded as she continued, "But here… one thing was different; some cats actually began to _accept _me for who I was, even though I trained with the Dark Forest. Back at my old school kids would tease me for being so short and learning quicker than most. I got called four-eyes since I wore glasses so I switched to contacts and I still got bullied for something else…" Mistyshadow sighed as I nodded sympathetically.

_I know that feel. _"Contacts are better than glasses though, you have to admit."

Mistyshadow shrugged, a small smile crossing her face. "I guess you're right," she mewed. "But… It was like they wouldn't stop. Every time I tried to change myself to please someone, they would always find something new to tease me about. But here… I mean… We're all cats, and we kind of all look the same. But… for some reason, they're more accepting around here."

I nodded again. She was right.

"I get scared at night, y'know," Mistyshadow added. She finally turned her head to look at me again.

I frowned. "Why?"

Mistyshadow breathed out slowly. "I don't know," she murmured. "I just get worried… I mean… What if Hawkfrost tries to visit me in my dreams again? What if I wake up and I'm not in warrior's den but in my uncomfortable bed listening to my brother fart the alphabet?"

I made a face. "He does _what?"_

Mistyshadow nodded, grimacing. "Gross, I know. But… Do you ever get this feeling that maybe the life you were born into wasn't the one you were meant to live?"

"Maybe we were always meant to be Clan cats," I mewed. Mistyshadow stared at me as I continued, "I mean… we both had it rough as twolegs. We both got bullied for things that were highly irrational and stupid. But… we somehow fit in here. I know I was born a human but I knew my heart always lay somewhere else. And I guess that's as a cat."

Mistyshadow nodded again, staring off into the distance in deep thought. We shared the silence together, savoring the moment. Before either of us had a chance to continue the conversation, the rest of our patrol had awaken. Sandstorm was already hauling herself to her paws as she padded towards us.

"What now?" Thornclaw asked, following after her. Poppyfrost was close behind followed by Hollyleaf and Jayfeather as they surrounded us.

Sandstorm pointed her muzzle in the direction where the smell of the saltwater was strongest. "We continue to head down until we reach this huge lake. Don't drink out of it though," she warned. "After we pass the sun-drown place we'll continue to head farther down until we reach Barley's farm."

Thornclaw, Poppyfrost and Lunarpaw nodded as we began to follow Sandstorm to the sun-drown place. I felt some sort of excitement at the mention of Barley's farm. I couldn't wait to meet him and Ravenpaw. Although Ravenpaw had to leave ThunderClan due to him being a huge threat to Tigerstar, he moved in with Barley at his farm near the Clans' old forest home. As we continued to walk, the smell of saltwater was getting stronger and the ground was shaping into something more of gravelly sand. I glanced back at Thornclaw, Mistyshadow and Poppyfrost. They were talking about something I couldn't hear, although Mistyshadow and Thornclaw were laughing at something Poppyfrost had said. I looked back up ahead. Hollyleaf and Lunarpaw were padding next to me while Jayfeather was a little ways ahead of us, behind Sandstorm.

As the ocean came into better view, immediately Mistyshadow and Poppyfrost bounded forward to get a better look at it. Lunarpaw glanced at me before I nodded permission to him. He followed after Mistyshadow and Poppyfrost in equal excitement as they neared the ocean's water. I glanced back at Thornclaw. He was watching the two she-cats as they neared the shore. I padded towards him.

"What do you think SkyClan is going to be like?" I asked him.

His amber gaze averted from the she-cats and Lunarpaw to me. "Oh… I don't know. Probably… Different."

"Good answer," I responded.

Thornclaw rolled his eyes. "Like you have a better idea?"

_Oh, you have no idea. _I shrugged. "They're probably just like any other Clan…"

"Their leader's name is Leafstar," Sandstorm mewed, overhearing our conversation. Thornclaw and I glanced at the pale ginger she-cat. "And their deputy if I can recall correctly is Sharpclaw… and their medicine cat is called Echosong."

Thornclaw nodded. "They sound like a normal Clan."

"They _are _a normal Clan," I mewed. I glanced at Sandstorm. She nodded in agreement.

"They were driven out of the original forest when twolegs destroyed part of their land," she mewed. "But that was back in the old forest a long time ago."

Thornclaw nodded. "I remember hearing that story."

Sandstorm glanced around. Hollyleaf was talking to Jayfeather about something while Mistyshadow, Poppyfrost and Lunarpaw were running away from the ocean's strong waves. I followed her gaze until it finally rested on the cave with sharp jutting rocks that appeared to look like teeth. _Midnight's cave! _

"Doesn't the badger live there?" Sandstorm asked, lifting her muzzle towards the cave. I nodded as we started forward, followed by the rest of the patrol noticing our movements.

"Where are we going?" Lunarpaw asked.

"Midnight's cave," Hollyleaf answered. She met my gaze before adding, "I wonder if she's still there…"

"Let's find out," I mewed as we were at the entrance of said cave. I stared up at the jutting rocks. They really did resemble sharp teeth. I peered into the cave, squinting. It was dark, although Midnight's scent was strong. Either she was inside the cave or she had just left.

To answer my question, the badger appeared. Her berry small, beady eyes stared at us as she tried to recall a familiar face. It finally landed on me.

"You are Clan cats, yes?" she asked.

Hollyleaf nodded. "Y-Yes. You're Midnight, right?"

"Right," Midnight said. She glanced at Sandstorm. "You come long way, no?"

"We're travelling," Sandstorm mewed. She glanced back at the rest of the patrol. "We're finding another Clan, actually."

"Lake home not suitable?" Midnight asked.

Thornclaw shook his head. "No, it's great, it's just…" his voice trailed off as his amber gaze landed on me. I met Midnight's black eyes.

"We're visiting SkyClan," I meowed.

"SkyClan?" called a voice from farther inside the cave. Midnight looked over her shoulder as another cat appeared. She was a ginger she-cat, her fur slightly ruffled. Her paws were white along with a flash on her chest as her blue eyes looked at us.

"Wildsong?" Sandstorm asked, her green eyes wide with shock. The she-cat who I presumed to be Wildsong stared at the pale ginger cat.

"Sandstorm?" she whispered. She shouldered past Hollyleaf and I as she brushed muzzles against the older ThunderClan warrior. "Sandstorm! I missed you so much. How is Brambleclaw and Brightheart and everyone else?"

"They're all fine," mewed Sandstorm. The rest of us continued to stare. _Wildsong? I don't remember her… _

Sandstorm noticed us staring then pulled away. "This is Wildsong," she introduced. "She lived with us in the old forest. She trained alongside Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight and the others."

Wildsong dipped her head to us. "It's nice to meet you all."

As we continued to get to know Wildsong better, apparently she had left ThunderClan because she had fallen in love with a loner named Eagle. Although they were attacked by foxes, Eagle had told Wildsong to run while he held them off. She said she didn't know what had happened to him since then. She then ran into Midnight, where the badger kindly took her in. And to our surprise, Wildsong asked if she could join us to SkyClan.

"Although Midnight has been very kind," she explained, "I really miss hunting in the forest and sharing tongues with my Clanmates."

Sandstorm agreed as we bid Midnight a farewell and began to head away from the sun-drown place to Barley's farm. Sandstorm and Wildsong were recalling old memories of the forest while we continued onward. We had barely made it away from the beach before we neared some large stones. As I looked farther past them, I spotted a creme-colored pelt near the shoreline.

_A cat? _

Noticing the creme fur as well, Sandstorm exchanged a glance with Wildsong and the others before following me towards the soaked she-cat. Her eyes were closed but from the faint rise and fall of her chest I could tell she was still alive. I glanced at Jayfeather.

"We need to get her away from the shore," he ordered. Thornclaw nodded as he and Sandstorm bounded forward, gently pulling at the she-cat. She mumbled in protest although she was still half-conscious.

Once we were away from the water, I was able to get a better look at the stranger. She had creme colored fur similar to Mistyshadow's with white paws and white chest. I stepped forward, only a mouse length away from her only to have her result in snapping her eyes wide open. They were a brilliant light blue.

"Wh-What's going on?" she stammered. She looked around fervently, shaking. "Why am I all wet? And where am I?"

I exchanged an awkward, panicked look with my Clanmates as I nodded to them. Understanding what I meant, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather nudged the others away from the she-cat and I. She continued to stare at me, the confusion evident on her expression.

"It's alright," I mewed kindly. "My name is Echoflight." I glanced over my shoulder at Hollyleaf and the others. Mistyshadow was watching us while Thornclaw, Poppyfrost, Lunarpaw and Sandstorm were shooting worried glances in my direction. I looked back at the startled she-cat. "They're my friends," I explained when I noticed she was staring at them. Her blue gaze averted back to me as I continued, "what are you doing here?"

"That's what I want to know," the she-cat replied. I glanced back at my Clanmates who kept giving us wary looks. I nodded to the she-cat, pointing forward with my muzzle.

"Okay, come with me. We need to talk in private." As I led the way farther away from my Clanmates, I noticed the cream-colored she-cat continuously glancing over her shoulder and examining herself.

She tilted her head in confusion once we were on the other side of the rocks and out of earshot from my Clanmates. "What's the matter?" she asked.

My gaze flickered from my Clanmates to the she-cat. "You were a human… Weren't you?" I whispered.

Her blue eyes widened. "H-How did you know?"

"Because I was a human too," I explained shortly. She continued to stare at me as if I had grown three separate heads. "Um, you know the _Warriors _series, right? By Erin Hunter?"

Her blue eyes sparkled as she nodded. "I love that series!" she exclaimed.

"Well, we're in that world right now."

She blinked as her eyes widened, resembling something similar to an owl's. "R-Really?" she breathed, looking around.

I nodded as I looked past her head. Sandstorm was watching me suspiciously. I cleared my throat, meeting the she-cat's blue eyes once more. "What was your name?"  
"S-Sadie," she mewed. She glanced over her shoulder at the cats gathered. Her eyes widened as she turned back to face me. "Was that… Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Thornclaw and Sandstorm?" she whispered.

I nodded. "In the flesh," I mewed. I looked around. _We need to think of a name for her… Something that sounds like a loner… _I met Sadie's gaze once more. "We need to come up with a name for you," I explained.

Before either Sadie or myself had a chance to say something, Sandstorm called out to us. "Echoflight? Is there something wrong?"  
"No!" I called back. I nodded to Sadie as I led her back to the Clan cats. "Alright everyone, this is-"

"Light," Sadie finished for me. She smiled, her blue eyes warm. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Yeah," Thornclaw mewed. He exchanged a glance with Sandstorm before looking back at me. "We should get going-"

"Can I join you?" Light asked. Sandstorm stared at the she-cat. She looked down at her paws awkwardly, her ears flattened against her head. "I-I mean, if I can…" She glanced at me as if asking for help.

"She's a loner," I put in. "She could help us with SkyClan and everything." At the mention of 'SkyClan' Light's eyes grew wide again. I gave her a look basically saying not to do anything to make them more suspicious than they already were. After looking at Light and back to me, Sandstorm exhaled slowly.

"Well, alright. I guess we can use all the help we'll need."

As we set off for Barley's farm again, I slowed my pace, ushering for Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Mistyshadow and Light to do the same. As Sandstorm took the lead again with Poppyfrost and Thornclaw following behind, I glanced at the cream-colored she-cat.

"So guys… Light was a twoleg like I was," I explained casually.

Jayfeather sighed exasperatedly. Hollyleaf nodded to Light.

"That's strange," she mewed. She glanced at me. "Do you think maybe… She has a power like you?"

I shrugged. As I quickened my pace and Hollyleaf and Jayfeather fell back alongside Lunarpaw, Light caught up with me.

"Um, Echoflight was it?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"You said you were a twoleg," she continued. "And Hollyleaf mentioned something about a power… Is it something similar to the Four?"

I sighed, nodding. "You could say that… And there's Five now, apparently."

Light's eyes widened. "Five?" she echoed. Realization dawned on her expression as she mewed, "ooh, _you're _the fifth cat, aren't you?"

I nodded. Looking around to make sure no cat was listening, I added in a lower tone, "you wouldn't have happened to read _The Forgotten Warrior _yet, have you?"

Light nodded. "Right before I fell asleep actually…"

"Did you read it all?"

Light nodded again. "Three times already."

_Was I really gone for that long? _I pushed away my depressing thoughts as I continued to ask Light about what happened. Apparently Hollyleaf returned from the tunnels and it was rumored she and Fallen Leaves had a romantic relationship. She continued to explain how Sol was trying to take advantage about saving Poppyfrost's kits when in reality, it was Hollyleaf. I nodded, listening as the she-cat continued to talk about how Jayfeather was getting framed for Flametail's death, claiming it was murder.

_Has it happened yet? _I wondered. _I don't think it has… If it hasn't maybe I can do something to stop it… _

"Jayfeather is also supposed to tell Cinderheart she is actually the reincarnation of Cinderpelt," Light continued, "WindClan is also planning another ambush and they're going to use the tunnels that Hollyleaf was crushed under to do so…" Her voice trailed off as she glanced over her shoulder at Hollyleaf. She and Jayfeather were listening to a story Lunarpaw was telling them. "But… I don't know what's going to happen. Hollyleaf isn't 'missing' and Poppyfrost definitely doesn't have kits or else she wouldn't have left." She pointed her muzzle to the tortoiseshell who was conversing again with Mistyshadow and Thornclaw. She paused for a moment before asking, "has Flametail died?"

I sighed. Waiting a few moments to make sure no cat was listening in, I started to explain to Light my true reason for being here. She listened, nodding her head every now and then to show she understood.

"But I've been so caught up with ThunderClan business and making sure the forest is rid of Sol and the Dark Forest cats attacking us… I haven't been paying much attention to Flametail's death. I don't think he died, though," I added when Light opened her mouth to object. "They haven't mentioned it at any Gatherings I know of."

Light nodded slowly. "Well… We should try and save him, right? After all you can't die apparently. Do you think it's something similar to nine lives?"

I shrugged. "I've died about three times I think. I wonder what happens if I die nine times."

Light shrugged as well. "We're going to have to find out."

I nodded as the conversation died down. As Sandstorm told us to find some shelter for the night, I began to recognize the familiar tracings of the highland in front of Barley's farm. We were almost there.

_Maybe they'll be able to help us out as well. _

**a/n: whoo, longer chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! favorite and follow if you do, and I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes. my right ear is still kind of bugging me so it's been a distracting day. I just wanted to get this chapter done since I feel I should publish a longer one since all of the other ones have been short and not very detailed and stuff. have a great day and I'll see you in the next chapter! don't forget to leave a review! smileyface.**


	33. Barn cats and foxes

**Chapter 7: Barn cats and foxes**

"Are we there yet?" Mistyshadow asked.

Sandstorm looked over her shoulder at the younger she-cat. "Soon," she responded. I exchanged a look with Light. We had barely set off from our resting place and I could see the farm in the distance. I looked over my shoulder. Lunarpaw was walking alongside Poppyfrost as the two started a conversation. I turned away, lost in my thoughts.

_What would have happened if I didn't save Honeyfern? _I wondered. _Would Lunarpaw still exist? Or would it just be Cherrypaw and Molepaw? Honeyfern was my favorite character, though… and I'm glad I've become one of her closest friends… _I couldn't help but feel Poppyfrost seemed to be more upset than how she was putting off to be. I glanced back at the tortoiseshell. She was smiling at something Lunarpaw had said, although her eyes weren't focused on him.

Before I had a chance to think more about it, the farmhouse was finally in view. Sandstorm looked over her shoulder at the rest of us. "Welcome to Barley's place," she mewed as we bounded towards the entrance. The immediate smell of manure and old hay reached my nose as I quickly shook my head, cringing.

"Bleh," Light gagged from next to me. A cow mooed as we raced past it. Light looked over her shoulder at it before turning to look at me. "That cow smells terrible."

I nodded in agreement. The last time I had smelled strong manure like this was probably when I was eight years old and my parents had taken me to the county fair. It was the first fair in our state and I was really excited to go - I even brought along my best friend, Emily. But the place smelled. _Bad. _

We skidded to a halt in front of the barn. The large door was open so we could get in. "Barley?" I called out. "Ravenpaw!"

Rustling came from a few haystacks to our left as Ravenpaw's black-furred head popped out, followed by the rest of his body. His white flash on his chest was probably the only place where he was white, aside from the tip on his tail. His amber eyes scanned us as he jumped from the balcony.

"Sandstorm?" Ravenpaw asked in disbelief. His eyes widened.

"Hey, Ravenpaw," she greeted, her green eyes glimmering.

Ravenpaw's amber eyes gleamed. "Wow, it's really you! It's been so long… I thought you all traveled to that new place beyond the sun-drown-"

"Barley, what's going on?" called a voice from the balcony. The black-and-white furred tom appeared, skilfully jumping down from the rafters as he made his way towards us, his yellow eyes alert. He stopped beside Ravenpaw.

"Oh, Barley, you remember Sandstorm, don't you?" he asked. He pointed his muzzle to the pale ginger she-cat. "I told you about her, Firestar and Graystripe. They stayed here once when all the Clans were travelling to the sun-drown place."

Barley nodded. "I remember."

"I'm Echoflight," I introduced. I glanced back at the other cats behind me. "And these are our Clanmates."

Ravenpaw dipped his head. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Yeah," Barley grumbled. I assumed he wasn't the social type, or maybe he just wasn't comfortable with all these Clan cats in his barn and we haven't even stated our reason yet. I glanced back at Sandstorm.

"We were heading for SkyClan," she mewed. "We decided to drop by to say hi to you, since you know, Barley's barn is close by."

Ravenpaw nodded. Barley frowned.

"Wouldn't that mean you would just be walking in circles? You would have to head up again to get to SkyClan's camp if you wanted to find it."

Mistyshadow groaned. "More walking?"

* * *

As we continued to get acquainted, Barley had gone off to teach Sandstorm, Poppyfrost, Lunarpaw, Wildsong and Thornclaw how to catch some of the mice that would scamper about in the barn. Ravenpaw stayed behind with Light, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf and myself.

"Wow," he murmured. We had just finished explaining the prophecy to him and our suspicions about Sol. "I'm sorry but I haven't seen a cat like him yet. I would tell you if I have," he added.

I shrugged. "That's fine."

"And I thought Firestar had a tough life ahead of him," Ravenpaw remarked. "But having such young cats deal with such weight on their shoulders…" his voice trailed off.

I frowned. "Firestarwas about our age when he was trying to prove to all the Clans what a threat Tigerclaw was."

Ravenpaw's ears pricked. "Tiger_claw_, huh?"

"He doesn't deserve the nine lives StarClan gave him."

Ravenpaw laughed lightly. "I suppose you're right… But he was appointed ShadowClan leader. They couldn't deny that."

We continued to talk about how the Clans have been doing. I could tell Ravenpaw missed it. And seeing the way Light was looking at him, she knew as well. The sky was beginning to darken and Barley had said we could stay in his barn for the night. As I padded towards my apprentice, settling down in the hay - which was surprisingly very comfortable - I heard Light whispering to Ravenpaw.

"You can come back, you know," she mewed. "I'm sure everyone would love having you back in ThunderClan. Barley can come as well if he wants."

"I - That's very nice of you to offer," Ravenpaw stammered. "But… I-I can't abandon the barn… not yet at least. And I'm sure Barley would like Clan life that much."

I stopped listening in on their conversation, being dragged into my thoughts once more. Ravenpaw only left ThunderClan in the first place because Tigerstar threatened to kill him if Ravenpaw revealed the true murder of Redtail. The only way to save their friend was for Graystripe and Firestar - Fireheart back then - to take him to Barley's farm. I closed my eyes, trying to stop thinking about it too much as I soon fell asleep.

* * *

The next day we asked Ravenpaw and Barley if they would like to accompany us to SkyClan. Ravenpaw agreed, saying it was the least he could do to help his former Clanmates. Barley was a bit more hesitant before he finally agreed to tag along.

I was overjoyed that they were coming along - Ravenpaw was one of my favorite characters from the first series, so being able to get to know him and Barley better was definitely a fan's dream come true. As I glanced over at Light I was certain she felt the same way.

"Are you excited that Ravenpaw is joining us?" I teased. The cream-colored she-cat's ears flattened against her head in embarrassment.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered. I let out a _mrrow _of amusement as we continued on. Although I recalled the books describing that the journey to SkyClan was long, I didn't think it would take _this _long.

Wildsong was the one to find our next shelter place. The ginger she-cat skidded to a halt, pointing her muzzle in the direction of a few ferns and trees in a slight clump, creating a clearing. "We should stay here," she suggested, looking back at the rest of the patrol. "I can smell prey and it looks like suitable shelter."

We all murmured our agreements as we followed Wildsong to the clearing. I collapsed onto the forest ground, my paws aching. Mistyshadow yawned while Thornclaw stretched, his claws flexing.

"One more day upstream until we reach SkyClan's camp." Sandstorm announced. Everyone mumbled their agreements, disgruntled. I let out my own yawn, looking at Light. She had already created her makeshift nest and was about to sleep in it. She glanced at me.

"Do you think I'll be able to join ThunderClan as well?" she whispered.

I looked around. The rest of the Clan cats were getting ready to settle down. I met Light's gaze, nodding. "I'm sure of it."

Light sighed, resting her head on her paws. "Do… Do you have any idea why I'm here?"

I glanced at the she-cat. My ears twitched as I waited to see if any of the other Clna cats were listening. They weren't. I looked back at Light. She was watching me with her glimmering blue eyes.

"I honestly have no clue," I told her. She nodded. We continued to talk some more until we were both tired out. I felt as if I had barely closed my eyes when I had to open them once more. Lunarpaw was nudging me.

"I'm up," I grumbled, not doing what I had told him. Lunarpaw frowned, continuing to paw at me _annoyingly. _I let out a hiss as I pawed him away, playfully, getting up on my paws. Lunarpaw grinned, his pale blue eyes meeting mine.

I stretched, looking up at a sky. The clouds were a dark gray, signaling it might rain sooner or later. We continued to head for SkyClan's camp. I looked over my shoulder. Wildsong was making conversation with Poppyfrost and Sandstorm while Mistyshadow looked slightly disgruntled at being woken up so early. Thornclaw was walking a little ways behind us, his expression unreadable. Jayfeather was talking with Hollyleaf again while Lunarpaw and Light were padding beside me.

"Are you and Jayfeather fighting?" Lunarpaw asked. I felt my ears heat with embarrassment as I shook my head. Lunarpaw frowned, obviously not believing me.

"Aren't you too young to be asking me about this?" I asked.

Lunarpaw shrugged. "You are my mentor."

I sighed exasperatedly. I wished that I could distract Lunarpaw by teaching him some new battle moves or hunting skills, but of course, the young tom had already trained himself almost everything. Sometimes he was so overly prepared, it made me wonder why. _There has to be a reason _why _he makes himself learn so quickly… _I opened my mouth, prepared to ask my apprentice about it, but he bounded on ahead, his blue eyes wide.

"Wow! Is this it?" he breathed. Sandstorm looked around.

"We're close," she commented. Just as she spoke, the deafening sounds of thunder and lightning cracked throughout the night sky. I jumped at the sudden noise, looking up. I then looked back at the others. Light was watching something out in the distance. I followed her gaze, standing beside her.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

Light frowned. "I… I feel like someone is watching us."

Jayfeather tasted the air. I watched as he tensed. "Foxes."

"Foxes?" Thornclaw echoed.

Mistyshadow groaned. "Great…"

"Four them," Jayfeather continued to explain. His ears pricked as he continued to stay alert. My whiskers twitched as I quickly scanned the area. I shoved Lunarpaw closer to the middle of our group. He immediately protested as I squished him against Poppyfrost and myself.

"You aren't going anywhere," Wildsong mewed, blocking off his last chance at escaping. Lunarpaw huffed irritably but shut up when the first fox pounced into sight. It was followed by its three friends, their yellow eyes narrowed and dirty ginger pelts matted.

_This is just great… _As the first fox lunged itself, Sandstorm reared up on her hind legs, lashing at the fiend. It howled in pain at her scratching its muzzle as it backed off. Its friends barked angrily as they attacked us all at once. It was a battle of spitting and tousling with foxes. Thornclaw was standing protectively in front of Lunarpaw along with Mistyshadow while Poppyfrost, Hollyleaf, Sandstorm and I were tousling with our own foxes. I noticed Light out of the corner of my eye. She crouched low, practicing a battle stance. I turned my attention back to the fox. It bared its yellowing teeth, its muzzle dangerously close to mine.

"There's this thing called personal space," I snarled as I wiggled from underneath its weight. My gaze flickered towards its left leg. Meeting its yellow gaze once more, I bit down hard before the fox had a chance to bite my own face off. It howled in pain as it backed off, giving me enough time to regain my balance. The fox was in a hissing, spitting frenzy as it glowered at me. The fox started forward again, only exposing its flank. I winced myself as I raked my unsheathed claws across the fox. It howled again in pain, finally backing off before it pelted through the forest trees.

I looked around. There weren't just four foxes anymore. _Six? Seven? What, are these things traveling in packs now or something? _I narrowed my eyes, flexing my claws as I got ready to pounce. Before I had a chance to, a body raced past me. It was another cat. I squinted through the rough rain water pelting down on us as more cats came to our aid. In no time we were able to fend off the foxes before they were all howling after their other packmates.

"Who are you," began the broad-shouldered, dark ginger tabby tom. His sharp green eyes were narrowed as he scanned us, his claws still unsheathed, "and what are you doing on SkyClan territory?"

I opened my mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by Leafstar stepping forward. She glanced at her deputy before turning back to me. Her eyes widened. "You are the marked one…" she whispered. She glanced over at the Echosong. SkyClan's medicine cat nodded as she stepped forward. She dipped her head to me.

"Echoflight," she mewed, "our warrior ancestors warned me that you were coming soon."

"Th-They did?" I stammered.

Echosong nodded, meeting my gaze. She looked back at her leader. The rest of the SkyClan cats still looked ruffled from the fox squirmish. I glanced back at my own Clanmates. No one had any major injuries.

Well, at least we found SkyClan.

**a/n: alright, sorry for the somewhat rushed ending. I'm really tired at the moment but I felt like I should at least end the chapter here and give you guys some more since the previous chapters (aside from ch. 31) were really short. anyways, don't forget to review, and I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed so far! They honestly make my day. (: (I also apologize for the chapters. I had to fix them because I forgot to post one of them!) **


	34. Poisonous Encounters

**Chapter 8: Poisonous Encounters **

It's been two days since SkyClan saved us from the fox attack and two days since I explained to a very angry Sharpclaw and confused Leafstar why we had journeyed so far. Of course, Sharpclaw didn't take it as lightly as I thought he would.

"Why should we send our warriors back to you for assistance?" His eyes were narrowed dangerously as he watched me carefully. I glanced at Leafstar. She had a more thoughtful look as my amber eyes met hers. I looked back at Sharpclaw, taking a deep breath.

"We don't need your warriors," I explained. _StarClan, let this convince them! _My gaze darted back to Leafstar. "Do you remember any tom… large, tortoiseshell… yellow eyes?"

Leafstar paused for a second before a look of recognition crossed her expression. "Y-Yes… do you know him?" she demanded. "How do you know Harry?"

I swallowed. "His real name isn't Harry…"

"Then what is it?" asked Billystorm. The ginger-and-white tom had been sitting in the back corner of Leafstar's den, but at the mention of Harry he stepped forward, his leaf-green eyes narrowed. He didn't believe me.

I looked at Leafstar. She was watching me carefully. "His name is Sol. And he isn't a kittypet, either."

Leafstar frowned. "What is he, then?"

"A loner, I think. I don't really know," I admitted, "but he's dangerous."

Sharpclaw snorted. I could tell he didn't like this. Leafstar shot him a warning look before returning her gaze back to me. "You said you were from ThunderClan, right?"

I nodded.

Leafstar sighed. "Firestar and Sandstorm were our great friends." She exchanged a look with Billystorm before returning her amber gaze to me. "I want to trust you, but Harry has done so much for us."

_I know that, but Sol can't be trusted! _I sighed. "I understand. But you have to believe me when I say he's caused great trouble for our Clan, along with the rest of the Clans by our home near the lake."

"The lake?" Leafstar questioned.

"We had to leave our old home in the forest due to the twolegs taking it over," I explained quickly. "But Sol… You have to trust me when I tell you he's dangerous! Has he come to visit you guys at all?'

Leafstar exchanged a glance with Billystorm and Sharpclaw before returning her gaze to me. She didn't answer.

"Didn't he tell you that he had to leave when you offered for him to join your Clan?"

Leafstar bristled. "How did you know that?"

"Because Sol can't be trusted," I continued. Leafstar's hostility died down as she let her fur lay flat. She took a breath, nodding, allowing me to continue voicing my opinion. "He convinced ShadowClan that the warrior code was useless and almost broke them apart completely. You have to believe me when I say he's dangerous."

"What do you want us to do about it?" asked Sharpclaw. His yellow eyes were no longer hostile, yet he watched me carefully. His tail lashed as he added, "we don't exactly know where he is."

"Exactly," I mewed. "But… if he ever comes back… You'll know not to trust him."

Leafstar's amber gaze was rested on me. I met it, willing to StarClan they believed my words. Leafstar glanced at Billystorm before letting out an exasperated sigh. She returned her amber gaze to me before mewing, "what do we have to do?"

Leafstar ended up allowing us to tell all of SkyClan all the troubles Sol had caused and that he can't be trusted. Of course her kits, Harrykit especially, were against it. I exchanged a worried look with Light as we looked back to the cats gathered. Sharpclaw lashed his tail as he settled down beside his mate, Cherrytail. Two kits danced around them as they stared up at us in awe. I shuffled my paws awkwardly as I stood upon the rockpile next to Leafstar, Jayfeather, Light and the others.

Leafstar's kits were older than I expected them to be. Harrykit, Stormkit and Firekit were all around the same age as the Three. I glanced back at Light, exchanging another worried look as I met Harrykit's amber gaze once more. His eyes were narrowed as he lashed his tail, his gray fur bristling. His warrior name was Harryclaw, I recalled. I glanced towards his sisters who were also watching us with a slightly hostile look: Fireleap and Stormjump. _Quite exotic names. _But that was the great part about SkyClan.

"Echoflight has come here with some other ThunderClan warriors to warn us about Harr-Sol." Leafstar corrected herself. Harryclaw's eyes continued to stay narrowed as he flexed his claws. I looked away, waiting for Leafstar to finish her speech. "I know that you all will remain courteous and listen to what she and the others have to say." Nodding once more to me, she stepped back, allowing me to take center stage.

I stepped forward, feeling my paws tingle with anticipation, and also slight fear. I swallowed as I looked around once more at the crowd of SkyClan cats below me. Some I could recall from the allegiances from the SkyClan special edition, but others looked quite new to me. I attempted to recollect my thoughts as I opened my mouth, beginning to explain:

"I know that many of you have some sort of 'bond' to Sol," I began. I noticed Harryclaw's tail lash angrily and I honestly couldn't blame him - if it weren't for Sol, him and his sisters would still be stuck in that twoleg place, trapped alongside with their mother. My whiskers twitched. "But he is not the cat he lead you all to believe. He has done horrible things to my Clan and many others alongside us. Many cats have died under his command and he has made many do his dirty work." I recalled the loners that Brambleclaw and the others had encountered when they went searching for Sol to find out Ashfur's murder.

I tried not to cringe as I bitterly remembered that Ashfur never found out Squirrelflight and Leafpool's secret, therefore, Hollyleaf never needed to kill him. This lead to Brambleclaw and the others never finding out about Jingo and her fellow cats' existence. I heard murmurs erupt throughout the crowd as they continued to cast me confused looks.

"Carry on, Echoflight." I glanced back towards the fluffy medicine cat. Echosong's blue eyes were bright as she nodded once more.

"I understand if none of you want to believe me." I sighed, adding, "to be honest, _I _wouldn't believe me if I were in your position. But I have a feeling that Sol will try to do something to manipulate you once more into getting what he wants. He can't be trusted."

"How do you know if he'll try and do that?" a cat called out. Her dark blue eyes flashed and her white pelt bristled while her brown-spotted tail lashed. She seemed to show more hostility than I thought. I frowned.

"Lilycloud," scolded a darker ginger she-cat beside her.

The she-cat called Lilycloud glanced towards the ginger she-cat, her eyes narrowed. "Roseflight, how do we know-" she began only to be cut off by Sharpclaw.

"It is not your turn to speak." His green eyes were narrowed as he addressed his Clanmate in a harsh tone. Lilycloud and Roseflight bowed their heads, although Lilycloud's blue eyes continued to glare me down.

We concluded the meeting. Thankfully, some of the cats had begun to agree with what I said, and I was grateful for Leafstar's support. I assumed that StarClan had told Echosong more about our arrival than what she lead on. However, as we continued to stay our third night in SkyClan's camp, I couldn't help but feel Lilycloud's hostile glare.

I subconsciously looked over my shoulder to see her huff irritably and raise her muzzle as if she were better than me. My eyes widened and I opened my mouth, ready to confront her about it only to be nudged harshly by Mistyshadow. I glanced at my previous apprentice, my hackles still raised from Lilycloud's attitude. "What?"

"Don't be stupid," Mistyshadow scolded. I opened my mouth to tell her off only to be cut off once more. "She obviously has something going on with herself. If you tell her off she'll probably convince the other cats not to listen to you. You're lucky you even got Harryclaw and his sisters to agree," she added. I nodded, letting out an exasperated sigh - she was right, but I just assumed they agreed since their own mother and father thought I was right.

"Leafstar," Wildsong started. The SkyClan leader glanced at us.

"Yes?"

Wildsong pointed her muzzle towards Lilycloud. She was no longer paying attention to us and was murmuring something to Roseflight and a dark brown tabby I didn't recognize. "Do you know who that she-cat is?"

"The white one?" Leafstar mewed. "Her name is Lilycloud… She's been acting slightly strange ever since she got her warrior name."

"Strange how?" I asked. _She couldn't know Sol… could she? _

Leafstar shrugged, obviously not wanting to delve deeper into gossip about her Clanmates. "I don't know. She just seems to be quite hostile whenever anyone brings up… Sol."

I nodded, not asking her anything else about the matter. My gaze flickered back towards Lilycloud. She was watching me with the same look, her blue eyes never leaving mine.

I didn't feel comfortable having a she-cat glare at me the whole time I attempted to eat my fresh-kill, but I knew I would have to suck it up if I didn't want the rest of the Clan to start acting like her. As the sky darkened in color it signaled that it was time to rest. I gathered along with the others in the clearing where we would sleep - we didn't want to intrude on the others.

"We leave tomorrow at dawn," Sandstorm instructed. "We've already over-did our stay."

Ravenpaw nodded, his amber gaze flickering towards Light before engaging in a conversation with Barley.

"I feel like we're missing something," Jayfeather muttered. I glanced at the gray tabby.

"What do you mean?"

"That she-cat… Lilycloud, you said," he meowed. "I feel like she knows something more about Sol then what we all think."

Light nodded in agreement. "She probably does. I wouldn't be surprised, seeing how she kept glaring down Echoflight during the meeting: if looks could kill, Echoflight would be dead on the ground for sure."

Jayfeather frowned, obviously not amused. "I know we can't stay here longer, but I really want to find out more about Lilycloud. There might be something important."

I rested my head against my paws, listening to the conversation slowly dying down. All of the cats around me started to doze off, but I couldn't bring myself to even close my eyes. My mind was set on thinking about Lilycloud; I worried for the young she-cat. Although she was most likely older than me (or even my age), I didn't want to think about her getting involved with a manipulative cat like Sol. He was bad news for anyone to deal with.

When I finally was able to bring myself to shut my eyes I was awoken by Mistyshadow pawing me awake. I rolled over on my other side, agitated. "What?" I muttered.

"Sandstorm says it's time to go."

I sighed, my eyelids heavy from hardly getting any rest. They fluttered closed again as I let out a yawn. "Five more minutes…"

"We don't have time for that!" Mistyshadow nudged me once more. I groaned, slowly getting to my paws. I blinked away the sleep from my eyes as I trudged alongside her to the camp's entrance. Jayfeather and the others were already gathered there along with Harryclaw, Leafstar, Echosong, Fireleap, Sharpclaw, Billystorm and Stormjump.

"We'll be sure to watch out for anything suspicious," reassured Echosong. I nodded to her, grateful for her kindness along with everyone else's.

I walked along the back of the patrol, silent as I stared at my paws. Not only had I not recovered from my exhaustion, but Lilycloud and her possible involvement with Sol never seemed to leave me in peace.

"You know, you can't always protect everyone." I jumped, slightly surprised by Jayfeather suddenly speaking to me. I faced him.

"I can try."

Jayfeather sighed. "Just don't get upset when you find out Lilycloud will be dead sooner or later."

I frowned. "You don't know if she's-"

"Why else would she show the least bit of interest in protecting SkyClan from Sol? Obviously she is involved _somehow. _And I'm hoping just as much as you are that it isn't romantically."

I sighed as well, my paws seeming to get heavier with every little step. I could hear the conversations all around me however my mind was swimming with my own thoughts. Everything seemed like a blur around me as it became harder and harder to drag my paws across the earth's ground. We had barely made it out of SkyClan territory when I stopped suddenly. Something didn't feel right.

"Something's wrong," I stated, looking around.

"Echoflight, what's the matter?" asked Sandstorm, worry alighting her green eyes.

I looked back at the older sandy she-cat. Before I had a chance to say something, the rattling sound of a snake sounded a little ways past Poppyfrost. My eyes widened in horror at the sight of the rattlesnake. It let out a hiss before lunging at Poppyfrost. I started forward only to be shrugged aside by Mistyshadow. Poppyfrost let out a shriek at the sight of the snake but it was too late. It dug its fangs deep into Poppyfrost's left shoulder. I started forward once more only to be held back by Mistyshadow.

"You can't do anything!" she hissed. "She's already been hit."

"There's more!" Thornclaw called out. I looked around. Three more snakes had appeared onto the scene. We gathered together, our hackles raised as we looked around. Jayfeather had inched closer to Hollyleaf and Wildsong, his gray fur bristling.

"No one make a sudden movement!" Light called out as the snakes continued to rattle their tails, inching closer towards us. Poppyfrost was withering on the ground, yowling out in pain. I wanted to help her but all I could do was watch as she suffered the same death as Honeyfern.

_This is totally unfair, _I thought. _How ironic did this have to be… and why did it have to be a snake bite? Why did she have to die in the first place? _

I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch Poppyfrost die before me. I knew that closing my eyes wouldn't get rid of her screaming in pain, but we had to listen to Light. After what seemed like hours passing by, Poppyfrost's screams had died down only to be replaced with silence. I opened my eyes to see the she-cat laying still, her eyes glazed as she stared out into nothing. I willed myself to look away, not wanting to see our fellow Clanmate dead.

Light was right, however; the snakes had stopped being hostile once we remained still. Once the snakes slithered out of sight, I raced towards Poppyfrost's dead body. I nudged her out of false hope: she was stiff and her fur was cold.

Sandstorm dipped her head, her nose touching Poppyfrost's tortoiseshell fur. "StarClan, this she-cat was far too young to join your ranks. She had her whole life ahead of her… May she be the greatest warrior there can be amongst you in the stars."

We all dipped our heads in grief as we mourned over Poppyfrost. I stared at Poppyfrost's body. I felt numb that I hadn't done anything to stop her, but Mistyshadow had a point. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I glanced back at the she-cat. She was saying something to Light and Thornclaw, her blue gaze flickering towards Poppyfrost's body every now and then.

"We better find a place to rest," Sandstorm announced, rising to her paws. "Finding shelter before the sun sets is our best option now… and we best be wary of any snakes still lingering around."

We all nodded numbly in response. I hesitated, glancing back over at Poppyfrost's body. "We aren't going to leave her here… are we?"

"Her body will be too heavy to carry all the way back to your camp," Barley mewed. His yellow gaze flickered from Poppyfrost to Sandstorm. His expression remained strict as he added, "dragging her lifeless body around will be useless."

I bristled. _Useless? She has a sister and family back at home that will miss her dearly! How _dare _you! _The more logical side of me took over: he did have a point, no matter how rude he was about it. After hesitating for a few more moments, I followd the rest of the patrol. Looking over my shoulder once more, I watched as Poppyfrost's body soon faded away as we ventured farther and farther away from her.

**a/n.,: gosh dang guys I'm so sorry for the short time of me updating, and I also apologize for the lack of quality in this chapter. I'm just super tired, and school is going to start for me very soon (August 25th for those of you who want the details) so I won't be able to update this… I was hoping to finish everything by the time school came around… but I guess that won't be happening. don't forget to leave a review, favourite and fan if you want to, and again my apologies! I know I say when it takes longer you should expect more detailed, better quality chapters… but I feel as if this one really lacks a lot. I'm really tired at the moment and I've had a terrible case of writer's block in this story for the past couple of days so again, my sincerest apologies! I promise you the next few chapters will definitely be better! **


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